LOS ANGELES (Jan. 10, 2007) -- Dwayne Jarrett, the leading receiver in school history, announced he will skip his senior season at Southern California to enter the NFL draft.
Jarrett, a 6-foot-5, 215-pounder from New Brunswick, N.J., ends his college career with 216 catches for 3,138 yards and a Pac 10-record 41 touchdowns in 38 games.
He capped his impressive three years at USC by making 11 receptions for 205 yards and two TDs in a 32-18 victory over Michigan in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.
The 21-year-old Jarrett, a two-time first-team All-American, caught 70 passes for 1,015 yards and 12 touchdowns this season despite missing one game and being limited in several others because of an early season shoulder injury.
The Trojans were 11-2 this season and 36-3 during Jarrett's career, which almost ended shortly after it began because of a case of homesickness during his freshman year. But he stuck it out and wound up becoming a star.
Jarrett caught 55 passes for 849 yards and 13 touchdowns as a freshman and had 91 receptions for 1,274 yards and 16 TDs as a sophomore.
He broke Keary Colbert's previous school record of 207 receptions, and surpassed Ken Margerum's Pac-10 record of 32 TD catches early in the season.
Jarrett finished ninth in the Heisman Trophy voting, and figured to be a leading candidate as a senior had he stayed in school. He is expected to be taken in the first round of April's NFL draft.
Jarrett said following the Rose Bowl that he would speak to his family before making a decision about his future. He faced a Jan. 15 deadline to declare for the draft.
He likely will be the only USC underclassman to leave school early for the NFL. The Trojans finished No. 4 and figure to be at or near the top of the 2007 preseason rankings.
After the 2005 season, USC lost five underclassmen, including Heisman winner Reggie Bush. The previous year, 2004 Heisman winner Matt Leinart considered coming out early, but decided to return for his senior season with the Trojans.
