Back in August, Malik McDowell said he wouldn't depart Michigan State for the NFL Draft unless he was going to be a top-three pick.
Well, either the junior defensive lineman has some really good information or he's taking a less absolutist stance because he announced Tuesday on Twitter that he's leaving the Spartans for the pros.
"I'm excited to announce that after careful consideration and numerous discussions with my family and coaches, I have decided to forego my remaining college eligibility at Michigan State University and enter the 2017 NFL Draft," McDowell posted in a Twitter message. "This was a very difficult decision, and I will always cherish my time in East Lansing. I want to thank my family, coaches, teachers, administrators and teammates. I'm ready to fulfill my childhood dream of playing in the NFL. I promised my parents that I would come back to Michigan State University to finish my college education and get my degree."
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McDowell played in only nine games during the Spartans' disastrous 3-9 campaign, recording 34 total tackles, leading the team with seven tackles for loss and posting 1.5 sacks.
McDowell was a high-profile recruit out of Detroit and played in all 13 games as a freshman for Michigan State during the 2013 season. As a sophomore, McDowell had 41 tackles, including 13 tackles for loss and four sacks, plus two forced fumbles and an interception. He earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors as the Spartans won a Big Ten championship.
A quick sampling of mock drafts across the Internet indicates McDowell is generally expected to be a first-round pick. Those NFL Draft sites vary, placing him anywhere from the top 10 to the end of the first round.
Remember what McDowell said in August:
Big Ten
"Top 10 ain't good enough for me," McDowell said, his comments published by the Detroit Free Press. "I ain't leaving if I'm (only) top 10. If I'm not top three, I don't leave. Really. I'm just trying to live day by day. It's one through three, that's the only way I'm going. I'm happy, I like it here, I ain't really in a rush to leave.
"The teammates I have the on-field stuff we do, the off-field stuff we do. Just good people around me. I can't complain."
Well, as we saw with the results for the Spartans this season — they started off 2-0 then lost eight straight games, plummeting from a College Football Playoff participant a year ago to failing to reach a bowl — things can change in a hurry.