Stanford star Christian McCaffrey announced Monday that he'll sit out the Sun Bowl to start preparing for the 2017 NFL draft.
"Very tough decision, but I have decided not to play in the Sun Bowl so I can begin my draft prep immediately," the running back wrote on Twitter, also thanking his teammates.
Stanford is set to face North Carolina in the Hyundai Sun Bowl on Dec. 30. The Tar Heels are likely to be happy not to have to defend McCaffrey, who led the nation with 211.5 all-purpose yards per game this season.
"We understand that this was a very difficult decision. For three years Christian has not only been a great player, but a great teammate as well," Stanford coach David Shaw said in a statement. "We wish him great success at the next level, as we continue our preparation for the Sun Bowl."
Several Cardinal players publicly approved of McCaffrey's choice.
McCaffrey's decision aligns with LSU's Leonard Fournette, who announced Friday that he will skip the Citrus Bowl to prep for the draft.
"Well we would be lying if we said we weren't a little disappointed, but at the same time, we are also understanding," Sun Bowl executive director Bernie Olivas wrote in a statement. "(McCaffrey) was hurt earlier this year so I am sure that weighed on his decision. He has a tremendous NFL career ahead of him and that might be sitting in the back of his head. Risking injury or re-injuring might be some things he is thinking about so it really is hard to be too disappointed."
Without McCaffrey, the Cardinal will hand the keys to its running game to sophomore Bryce Love, who averaged 7.4 yards per carry as a backup during the regular season.
North Carolina is No. 113 in the nation in run defense.
