USC running back Jones to enter NFL Draft

Jan 5, 2018 - 8:17 PM USC junior Ronald Jones II, the fifth-leading rusher in school history, announced Friday that he will enter the 2018 NFL Draft.

"My sincerest thanks to all of my coaches and teammates at the University of Southern California," he wrote on social media. "I am truly going to miss you guys. Go win that national championship for me next season."

Jones is rated as the fifth-best junior running back by NFLDraftScout.com, which gives him an early projection of the second or third round.

Jones finished his USC career with 3,619 yards on 591 carries (a 6.1 average) with 39 TDs. He also caught 32 passes for 301 yards and three scores. He scored at least one touchdown in 19 of his last 20 games.

He rushed for 1,550 yards and 19 touchdowns in 2017.

Jones was the seventh running back to declare early for the NFL Draft, following Notre Dame's Josh Adams, Penn State's Saquon Barkley, Tennessee's John Kelly, Oregon State's Ryan Nall, Miami's Mark Walton, and Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway of Auburn.