Kansas State QB Freeman opts for draft

Jan 2, 2009 - 4:33 PM MANHATTAN, Kansas (Ticker) -- Kansas State junior quarterback Josh Freeman, who already holds career school records for completions, yards and touchdown passes, has decided to enter the NFL draft.

Freeman made the announcement Thursday after indicating earlier in the season that he planned to spend all four years at Kansas State.

"I've done all the research," Freeman told ESPN.com. "Kansas State is starting over and this is what I've always wanted to do. The time is right."

Kansas State recently rehired popular former coach Bill Snyder after Ron Prince was fired following three seasons.

"(Snyder) wanted me to stay," Freeman said. "He expressed that. He talked about the benefits of staying."

Freeman has the size at 6-6 and 250 pounds and avoided injury at Kansas State, starting 32 straight games.

He is projected as a second-round pick and threw four touchdown passes in a season-ending 38-30 victory over Iowa State. That effort came after he struggling down the stretch with only one touchdown pass in the previous three games.

Among underclassmen, Freeman is ranked behind Oklahoma's Sam Bradford, Georgia's Matt Stafford and Southern California's Mark Sanchez.

In his career, Freeman completed 680 passes for 8,078 yards and 44 touchdowns.