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LOS ANGELES — Southern California quarterback Sam Darnold will skip his final two seasons of eligibility to enter the NFL draft.
Darnold made the expected announcement in an Instagram video Wednesday.
About 25 minutes earlier, UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen announced he will enter the draft. Both local products are expected to be high first-round selections in April.
Darnold took over as the Trojans’ starting quarterback four games into last season as a redshirt freshman. He won the Rose Bowl in his first season with a record 453-yard, five-touchdown performance against Penn State, and he led the Trojans to their first Pac-12 championship since 2008 this season.
Darnold passed for 7,229 yards with 57 touchdown passes and 22 interceptions in 27 games behind center for the Trojans.
Rosen has been the Bruins’ starting quarterback for the past three seasons, playing in 30 total games after missing half of his sophomore year with injuries. He passed for 9,301 yards with 59 touchdown passes and 26 interceptions.
He was close to fired UCLA coach Jim Mora, but discussed his decision with new Bruins coach Chip Kelly.
In his statement, Rosen says that attending UCLA was “the best decision of my life.” He also promises his mother that he’ll return to Westwood to finish his degree.