STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State junior linebacker Willie Gay Jr. has made the decision to enter the 2020 NFL Draft, forgoing his senior season.
Gay, a Starkville native, released a statement Monday morning on Twitter announcing he will forgo his final year of eligibility and enter the 2020 NFL Draft.
“Playing for your hometown is a feeling words cannot describe and few are blessed to experience,” Gay said. “This city and university will always hold a special place in my heart as the only home I’ve ever known,” Gay wrote in a Twitter post.
Gay was a four-star recruit out of Starkville High School. He turned down many national offers out of high school to stay close to home and play for his hometown Bulldogs, but his time wearing maroon and white has come to an end.
The 6-foot-2, 240-pound defender had 99 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, six sacks and three interceptions in 28 career games with the Bulldogs.
After a standout sophomore season where Gay recorded 48 tackles, two interceptions and one fumble recovery, Gay was limited just five games as a junior due to an eight-game suspension for his role in the academic misconduct scandal. He recorded 28 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss on the year.
Gay officially announced his decision with the following post:
#FTF
— Willie Gay Jr. (@WillieG___) January 6, 2020
I can do all things through him who gives me strength.
HAILSTATE pic.twitter.com/TnpgdrB2X7