Texas A&M RB Isaiah Spiller declares for NFL Draft

In yet another unsurprising move, Texas A&M junior running back Isaiah Spiller announced on Tuesday that he will forego his remaining collegiate eligibility and declare for the 2022 NFL Draft.

Spiller leaves College Station after rushing for 1,011 yards and six touchdowns in 2021, and falling just seven yards short of rushing for 3,000 yards in his three-year college career to go along with 25 touchdowns. Despite leaving a year early, Spiller sits at seventh in A&M history in career rushing yards.

With the departure of Spiller, expect to see an increased dose of sophomore running back Devon Achane in the Gator Bowl, who needs just 90 yards to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark on the season himself. He will be supplemented with true freshman L.J. Johnson.

It’s becoming increasingly clear that the team we see take the field against Wake Forest on Dec. 31 will look much different than the one we saw for most of the season. Spiller joins junior DT DeMarvin Leal as well as senior S Leon O’Neal and senior DL Jayden Peevy as players who have opted out of the bowl game to prepare for the draft. In addition, QB Zach Calzada, who started 10 games for the Aggies following the injury of starter Haynes King, has entered the transfer portal. That’s in addition to the departure of Defensive Coordinator Mike Elko, who is now the head coach at Duke.

The Aggies are currently a five-point favorite* in the Gator Bowl, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, but were as high as a seven-point favorite prior to the announcement of Calzada’s transfer on Monday.

* Odds/lines subject to change. T&Cs apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for details