LSU RB Hill and Guard Turner declare for draft

LSU junior running back Jeremy Hill and guard Trai Turner have both declared for the NFL Draft.

Hill said on his Twitter account: “I am a Tiger for life. I will forever be grateful to my LSU fans, friends, coaches and family. This decision has been very difficult for me….. With all of that being said, I have decided to forego my Junior season and enter the 2014 NFL Draft.”

The loss of Hill will be huge for LSU fans who – at the start of the 2013 season – were probably wondering if Hill would actually be playing for LSU at all. Hill was involved in a fracas outside the ‘Tigerland’ set of bars in Baton Rouge, in which he blindsided a member of the public. LSU coach Les Miles left it up to the LSU players to decide if Hill would stay around — and he did.

Hill ended the season with 1,401 yards and 13 touchdowns as an eligible sophomore last season – including stealing the show against Iowa in the Tigers’ bowl win.

ESPN noted that Hill’s leaving would create a hole for top prospect running back Leonard Fornette and junior Terrence Magee, who had over 600 yards and eight TDs to his name.

BOTTOM LINE: I remember speaking to a LSU fan about the possibility of Hill not playing for the Tigers in 2013 after his arrest and he said: “We’re not going to miss him. We’re really deep at running back.” And as it turned out, LSU was pretty deep at running back in 2013 – but Hill helped them be that way. Hill puts up a huge amount of production, and particularly with a talent-stacked SEC West, this is going to be a huge loss for the Tigers.