For the second day in a row, a member of Ohio State's exceptional secondary declared for the NFL Draft.
Monday it was safety Malik Hooker. Tuesday it was Gareon Conley, one of the Buckeyes' captains this season, opting to forgo his final season of NCAA eligibility.
He announced his intentions in a message posted to Instagram.
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"Man it’s been a wonderful journey from recruiting to playing in the Shoe," Conley wrote. "I feel like the past four years have really expanded and opened my mind and made me grow as a student and athlete and a man. It’s been an honor to play as a Buckeye and a Silver Bullet and also to be a part of the great secondary this past year.
"I want to thank everyone from family to friends to Buckeye Nation for all the love and support. It’s a tremendous blessing to have played for y’all. Most importantly I want to thank all my teammates who I was in the trenches with and through thick and thin. I love y’all boys, and y’all my brothers for life. Once a Buckeye, always a Buckeye.
"I have decided to declare for the 2017 NFL Draft."
Conley ranked second behind Hooker on the team with four interceptions this season and was part of arguably the finest secondary in the country. Conley capped a stellar redshirt junior campaign with an interception of Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson in Ohio State's loss in the Fiesta Bowl.
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Like his teammate Hooker, Conley is expected to be selected in the early rounds of the NFL Draft and perhaps even to be first-round pick.