Oregon wide receiver Dillon Mitchell announced on Twitter he will be forgoing his senior season and is declaring for the NFL Draft.

“I want to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation for the tremendous support and cheers I’ve received since coming to Oregon in 2016,” Mitchell said in his official release attached below.

Mitchell most recently won the Redbox Bowl Offensive MVP award after scoring the game’s lone touchdown. Matched up against the game’s defensive MVP, Michigan State defensive back Josiah Scott, Mitchell was able to haul in 70 yards on six catches.

After a slow start in nonconference play where things may have been held back offensively, Mitchell dominated Pac-12 play, having 1,016 receiving yards in nine conference games.

In the first conference game of the year, Mitchell had 239 receiving yards on 14 receptions against a tough Stanford defense. Overall, he had six games of over 100 receiving yards and scored 10 touchdowns.

Mitchell finished the season with 1,184 receiving yards, setting a single-season record for Oregon pass-catchers. He averaged 91.1 yards and 5.8 receptions.

“[The record] is definitely something that was a goal of mine once it was brought to my attention,” Mitchell said following the 7-6 Redbox Bowl victory. “But I guess I don’t really think about it like that because I enjoyed the win more than anything.”

Mitchell is the first Oregon player to declare for the draft early and would be the first Oregon receiver drafted since 2014 when Josh Huff (third round by the Philadelphia Eagles) and De’Anthony Thomas (fourth round by the Kansas City Chiefs) were picked.

With Mitchell now awaiting the draft process, quarterback Justin Herbert will need to rely on a wide receiver core led by Jaylon Redd, Johnny Johnson III and Brenden Schooler.
Follow Maverick Pallack on Twitter @mavpallack