Jan. 4 NFL draft declarations: Ohio State LB Raekwon McMillan turns pro

Ohio State linebacker Raekwon McMillan will skip his senior year with the Buckeyes and head to the NFL.

McMillan was Ohio State’s leading tackler in 2016. He had 102 total tackles and seven tackles for loss with two sacks. He also forced two fumbles.

McMillan was the No. 1 linebacker in the class of 2014 and the No. 19 player in the country according to Rivals.

Ohio State defensive backs Malik Hooker and Gareon Conley already announced their decisions to head to the NFL.

– Texas A&M wide receiver Speedy Noil, suspended for the team’s Texas Bowl loss to Kansas State, won’t play for the Aggies any longer. He’s declaring for the NFL draft.

Noil was arrested for marijuana possession after the end of Texas A&M’s regular season. His suspension was the second-straight time he missed A&M’s bowl game because of a suspension. The suspension that caused him to miss the 2015 Music City Bowl also carried over to the beginning of the 2016 season.

Noil, had 88 catches for 1,134 yards and nine touchdowns in his three years at Texas A&M. He joins fellow A&M wide receiver Ricky Seals-Jones in declaring early.

– Auburn defensive end Carl Lawson said Wednesday afternoon he was off to the NFL.

Lawson had 34 tackles and 13.5 tackles for loss in 2016. He’ll likely be an early pick in the draft after missing much of 2014 and 2015 to injuries. He missed 2014 entirely because of a torn ACL and missed part of 2015 because of a hip injury.

– Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas, a redshirt sophomore, is leaving for the NFL.

Thomas had 62 tackles, 14 tackles for loss and eight sacks in 2016 for Stanford. He was the team’s leading tackler.

“I am so honored, thankful, and grateful for my time at Stanford,” Thomas said in a release. “I love this game so much and playing in the NFL has been my dream since I was six years old. The lessons I have learned at Stanford have more than prepared me for this next step.”

– Cal wide receiver Chad Hansen declared Wednesday. Hansen was incredibly productive in Cal’s air raid offense in 2016 with 92 catches for 1,249 yards and 11 touchdowns.

“Chad played a significant role in our offensive success last season and was certainly one of the top receivers in the nation,” Cal coach Sonny Dykes said in a statement. “He has worked hard to put himself in this position, and I know it wasn’t an easy decision for him to make. We’re certainly going to miss Chad, but I’m excited for him and this opportunity. He has a skill set that will translate well to the NFL.”

Hansen was a former walk-on at Cal.

– Florida teammates David Sharpe and Quincy Wilson declared for the NFL on Tuesday. Sharpe has been a two-year starter for Florida at tackle.

Wilson had 33 tackles and three interceptions to go with six pass breakups as a starter at cornerback alongside Jalen Tabor. It’s likely that Tabor will declare for the NFL before the early-entry deadline on Jan. 15.

Linebacker Alex Anzalone said Wednesday afternoon he’d be heading to the NFL too. Anzalone announced his decision in a letter posted to Florida’s site Wednesday afternoon. Anzalone had 53 tackles in eight games in 2016.

– Penn State defensive end Garrett Sickels announced Wednesday evening he was going to the NFL.

Sickels had 47 tackles and six sacks in 2016.