One of the top wide receiver prospects in the country is skipping the draft to return for another season at the collegiate level.
Alabama’s DeVonta Smith will not declare for the 2020 NFL draft, and will instead return to the Crimson Tide for the 2020 season. He announced his decision via social media Monday.
Smith’s decision comes after teammates Tua Tagovailoa, Jerry Jeudy and Xavier McKinney have made their declarations for this year’s draft. Smith joins offensive tackle Alex Leatherwood as top Bama prospects opting to return to school rather than make the early jump to the pros.
An explosive deep threat who made big plays for the Tide all year long, Smith was widely considered the team’s third-best receiver, but he led Alabama with 1,256 receiving yards and 14 touchdown catches. A terror after the catch, Smith averaged a whopping 18.5 yards per catch in 2019.
He’ll return as the team’s unquestioned No. 1 receiver in 2020, where he’ll pair with another explosive in Jaylen Waddle to give the Tide another dangerous receiving tandem.
