ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia wide receivers Riley Ridley and Mecole Hardman and tight end Isaac Nauta are skipping their senior seasons to enter the NFL draft, taking away three of the Bulldogs’ top receivers.
All three announced the decisions Friday on their respective Twitter accounts.
“I could not imagine any other program preparing me for the next stay the way this one has,” Ridley said, adding thanks for coach Kirby Smart and the coaching staff.
Ridley, the younger brother of Atlanta Falcons rookie Calvin Ridley, led Georgia with 44 catches for 570 yards and nine touchdowns. He finished strong, with five-catch games against Alabama in the Southeastern Conference championship game and against Texas in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
Nauta was third on the team with 30 catches for 430 yards and three touchdowns this season. His top game of 2018 came against Florida, when he had five catches for 73 yards.
Nauta said he made the decision to pursue his “lifelong dream” of playing in the NFL after consulting with his family and coaches.
Hardman had 34 receptions for 532 yards and seven touchdowns in 2018.
“This has been a dream since I picked up a football and now that my dreams are becoming a reality I could not be more excited,” he wrote on Twitter.
Tailback Elijah Holyfield, who ranked second on the team with 1,018 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, also announced his departure.
Thank you so much Dawg Nation!❤️ pic.twitter.com/R3X106PYO9
— Elijah Holyfield (@EH_taught_me) January 4, 2019
Also Friday, freshman tight end Luke Ford, from Carterville, Illinois, announced on Twitter he is transferring to Illinois “due to my grandparents’ deteriorating health and my family’s inability to afford to see me play in person each week.”
Ford had one catch for 4 yards in nine games this season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.