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The decision that former Oregon Ducks running back CJ Verdell made on Monday morning did not come out of left field, but it is likely going to be hard to accept for Oregon fans either way.
Verdell announced that he will be keeping his name in the 2022 NFL draft and ending his college career with the Ducks, hoping to make the leap to the professional ranks next season. As it stands now, Verdell will leave Eugene as the No. 6 all-time leading rusher with 2,920 career rushing yards and 30 total touchdowns.
When announcing his decision on social media, Verdell took the time to thank a number of people at the U of O for helping him get to where he is today.
“'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. '” — Jeremiah 29:11. pic.twitter.com/bHDpVYFgzg
— CJ📛 (@Cjverdell_) January 24, 2022
“I want to give a special shout-out to everyone at the Jaqua, especially Ms. Jeanne. I do not know what I would have done without all your help and guidance,” Verdell wrote. “The education and life skills that I have learned during my time at the University of Oregon are invaluable and I will carry them with me forever.”
Because of his injury history at Oregon, it is hard to project where Verdell might end up in the NFL draft, but he was projected to be one of the first RBs off the board when fully healthy. We will continue to watch that as it develops over the next couple of months leading up to April.
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