Texas A&M RB Devon Achane Declares for NFL Draft

Devon Achane is running to the NFL. 

Achane officially announced via his Instagram that he would forgo his final two years  of eligibility and enter the 2023 NFL Draft. The Texas A&M speedster is projected to be a mid-round selection, seeing his grade flux between the second and fourth rounds. 

"Thank you for everything, 12th Man," Achane wrote. "I'm grateful for what you all have done for me. It's a blessing to have been a part of this great university. I am declaring for the 2023 NFL Draft." 

An immediate contributor for the Aggies since arriving from Fort Bend Marshall (TX) in 2020, Achane took over as Texas A&M's lead running back following the departure of Isaiah Spiller. This past season, the 5-9, 198-pound runner posted career numbers in rushing yards (1,102) and rushing attempts (196), while scoring eight touchdowns. 

Last season in a rotational role, Achane led the SEC in yards per rush attempt (7.0) while totaling 910 yards. He scored a career-high nine rushing touchdowns and had 130 fewer carries than Spiller. 

After missing two games with a foot injury, Achane returned for the Aggies' season finale win over No. 5 LSU. In what ended up being his final game with the program, the junior rushed for a career-best 215 yards on 38 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns en route to a 38-23 upset. 

“He’s a tremendous human being, a tremendous player, a tremendous leader, and a tremendous competitor,” Texas A&M fifth-year coach Jimbo Fisher said last month. “He has nothing but heart and toughness about him in everything he does.”

Thanks to his performance against LSU, Achane became the 16th Texas A&M player to surpass 1,000 rushing yards in a single season. He'll leave College Station ranked 17th all-time in rushing yards with 2,376.

Achane's 3,543 career all-purpose yards over three seasons ranks 12th on the Aggies' all-time list. 

"I love the 12th Man," Achane said following his career night. "I'm happy that if this was my last game, I'm happy to leave with a great performance as I did."

The Aggies could elect to target depth via the transfer portal, but should feel content with their internal replacements for the impending year. Both freshman Le'Veon Moss and sophomore Amari Daniels announced they would be returning to Aggieland for the 2023 season. 

Combined, Moss and Daniels finished with 314 rushing yards on 63 carries and scored a touchdown. The Aggies finished 5-7 and were not eligible for a bowl for the first time since 2008. 

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