Alabama’s list of early departures to the NFL grew to seven on Sunday, when junior inside linebacker Mack Wilson and redshirt junior safety Deionte Thompson announced via Twitter they had decided to forgo their final season with the Crimson Tide.
The seven underclassmen to declare for the draft are the most in Alabama history, topping the five who made themselves eligible last year (Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ronnie Harrison, Da’Ron Payne, Calvin Ridley and Bo Scarbrough) and in 2014 (Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Adrian Hubbard, Cyrus Kouandjio, Jeoffrey Pagan and Vinnie Sunseri).
At least three players have left Alabama early for the NFL every year since 2011, with the exception of 2016, when only Derrick Henry and A’Shawn Robinson bypassed their remaining eligibility.
Wilson was a five-star signee in the 2016 class out of Montgomery. This past season, the 6-foot-2, 239-pounder amassed 71 tackles, five tackles for loss and two interceptions.
“It’s been an amazing three years at the University of Alabama,” Wilson posted Sunday night, “competing for three national championships and winning one.”