Advertisement
football Edit

Several Hoosiers declare for NFL Draft

Don't miss out on any of our exclusive football, basketball and recruiting coverage. Get a 60-Day FREE trial to TheHoosier.com with promo code IU60

The deadline for players being able to declare for the 2021 NFL Draft has come and gone, and several former Indiana players have tossed their hat into the ring.

Junior running back Stevie Scott III, junior safety Jamar Johnson, senior wide receiver Whop Philyor, senior center Harry Crider, grad transfer and defensive lineman Jovan Swann and redshirt senior defensive tackle Jerome Johnson have all declared for the NFL Draft. NCAA rules would have permitted all players to return to Bloomington for another season if they so desired.

According to a report by ESPN, this year's NFL Draft Combine, which is traditionally held in Indianapolis, will look a little different this year, as all on-field workouts will be conducted at on-campus pro days.

Here is a look at each player who has declared.

Advertisement

For Scott, the decision to declare for the NFL means chasing a dream.

“After much prayer and discussions with my family, I will forego my senior season and enter the 2021 NFL Draft,” Scott wrote in a Twitter post. “I am eager to pursue my dreams of playing in the NFL, but I will be a Hoosier for life.”

On the 2020 season, Scott gained 581 yards, which ranked fourth in the Big Ten Conference, and he amassed 10 touchdowns, but his yardage per carry was only 3.6 yards, the worst during his career at Indiana.

Despite that, he was able to earn second team All-Big Ten honors.

At 6-foot-2-inches and 231 pounds, Scott is able to run downhill and serve as a pass protector as his blocking skills have improved.

The 2020 season was a banner year for Jamar Johnson, as he finished second on the team with 43 tackles and was tied with Jaylin Williams for most interceptions with four.

For his efforts, he was named as a first team All-Big Ten selection.

He immediately showed what he could do in the season opener against Penn State, notching 10 tackles, a tackle for a loss, an interception and a forced fumble. He was named the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week for his efforts.

In a social media post, Johnson said he loved his time at Indiana.

“I have loved my time at IU, will always bleed cream and crimson,” Johnson wrote. “Thank you for the support and Go Hoosiers!”

Coming out of high school, Jerome Johnson didn't have many scholarship offers, but head coach Tom Allen, who was an assistant at the time, was able to convince the coaching staff to take a chance on him.

The decision paid dividends for all involved, as Johnson had a strong career at Indiana. After playing in all 12 games as a redshirt freshman, Johnson was tops on the team in sacks as a sophomore and junior. Johnson, named first-team All-Big Ten in 2020, registered four sacks in his final season, behind only linebacker Micah McFadden’s six. He was also named to the East-West Shrine Bowl squad.

Johnson announced his decision on Instagram saying he would like to think that the future holds many great things for everyone.

“No one knows exactly what the future holds but I would like to think that it holds many great things for all of us,” Jerome Johnson wrote on Instagram. “I would like to thank my family, coaches, teammates, and friends for experiencing this chapter of my life with me, but with that, this chapter must come to an end.

“I will not be returning for another season at IU as I will start a new chapter pursuing my dream of playing at the professional level.”

After a record setting performance at the Outback Bowl, Philyor became the first Indiana senior to announce he was turning pro, tweeting his decision on Twitter, saying, "ONCE A HOOSIER ALWAYS A HOOSIER."

In the Outback Bowl, Philyor broke an Outback Bowl and Indiana school record with the most receptions in a single game with 18 catches. The senior from Tampa, Fla. finished his senior season with 54 catches for 495 yards and three touchdowns.

He was an honorable-mention All-Big Ten this season by both the coaches and the media. He was on the Maxwell Award Watch List and Biletnikoff Award Watch List in the preseason as well.

Philyor broke onto the scene as a junior, reeling in 70 receptions for 1,002 yards and five touchdowns. He wrapped up his career at fourth all-time in receptions with 180, and he finishes at ninth all-time in receiving yards with 2,067.

“My time here has changed me and taught me many things,” Philyor tweeted. “After long and thought-out discussions with family and close friends, I decided that it is time for me to move to the next level in life and pursue my dream of playing in the NFL.”

Indiana native Harry Crider declared for the NFL after playing the 2020 season as Indiana's center.

Crider was a two-year starter to close out his career, playing left guard as a junior and then starting all eight games at center in 2020.

“I have decided I am ready for the next step in my life and have chosen to declare for the NFL Draft,” Crider wrote on Twitter. “Growing up in Indiana and being able to play for this university is something I dreamt of as a kid. These past four years have been a blessing and the best years of my life. Being a part of the culture that Coach (Tom) Allen developed has allowed me to grow into the man I am today.”

As for Swann, the Indiana native got his college start at Stanford University before transferring to Indiana as a graduate transfer.

“I would like to thank Coach Allen and Indiana University for giving me another opportunity to play college ball at a high level in the Big Ten,” Swann said in his social media post. “I am thankful to have been able to be part of such a historical team this past season. Even with its ups and down, it will be one to remember.”

Swann was a defensive lineman, appearing in all eight games and recording four tackles, three quarterback hits and a pass break-up.

Talk about it inside The Hoops Forum or The Football Forum

Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes

• Follow us on Twitter: @IndianaRivals

• Like us on Facebook.

Advertisement