Louisville offensive tackle Mekhi Becton will forgo his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft, he announced Monday.
Becton said he won’t participate in the Music Bowl against Mississippi State on Dec. 30.
“I wish Mekhi all the best as he pursues the next chapter in his football career,” Louisville head coach Scott Satterfield said in a statement. “He played a huge role, not only in our turnaround on offense, but within the entire team. He showed how dominating a player he can be with our ability to run the football this season. We look forward to seeing growth as a player and are here to support him as he travels along that path.”
Becton, a 6-foot-8, 370-pound junior, started 33 career games at offensive tackle for the Cardinals.
This season, he graded out better than 80 percent in eight games, according to the school, and made over 60 knockdown blocks.
The Cardinals rushed for more than 200 yards in eight of 12 games.