Eli Apple came to Ohio State as a highly touted recruit who enrolled early in Columbus after being swooned by Jim Tressel as a teenager. After Tressel's resignation, he helped Urban Meyer's program win Big Ten and national championships, quietly putting together an impressive career with each passing game.
Monday, Apple became the latest Buckeye to announce he's personally ready for the next step. The redshirt sophomore will leave two years of collegiate eligibility on the table in Columbus and enter the 2016 NFL Draft. Apple made the announcement on his Twitter account.
Buckeye forever pic.twitter.com/6vohzMqPDY
— Eli Apple (@EliApple13) January 4, 2016
Apple blossomed into a linchpin of Ohio State's defense during the 2014 season, when the Buckeyes won the first-ever College Football Playoff national championship. He worked opposite of star Doran Grant at corner, then became the team's best option at the position in 2015. He finishes his Buckeye career with 86 total tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions and 10 passes broken up.
In his final career game, Apple racked up five tackles and broke up a pass in Ohio State's 44-28 victory against Notre Dame New Year's Day in the Fiesta Bowl to earn Defensive Most Valuable Player honors.
Apple joins a slew of teammates from the 2015 team who elected to turn pro early: Quarterback Cardale Jones, running back Ezekiel Elliott, linebacker Darron Lee, safety Tyvis Powell and defensive end Joey Bosa have all declared for the draft.
The 2016 NFL Draft opens April 28 in Chicago.
