South Carolina junior RB Mike Davis will forego his senior season with the Gamecocks and enter the NFL draft, he confirmed to the media after Thursday’s bowl practice.

Merry Christmas, South Carolina fans.

One of the worst-kept secrets in the SEC, Davis, who already has accumulated more than 500 college touches, will ply his talents at the professional level following Saturday’s Independence Bowl against Miami.

Davis has 2,385 career rushing yards for the Gamecocks, but produced a relatively disappointing 2014 season. Slowed by an injury (and with rumors of poor fitness) early in the season, Davis failed to rush for 1,000 yards after a spectacular sophomore year in which he collected 1,534 total yards of offense.

The 6-foot-2, 222-pound Brandon Wilds is expected to start at running back for South Carolina in 2015 as a senior. Wilds ran for 5.6 yards per carry this season and also caught 16 passes in fairly limited action.

“I’m ready for the carries,” Wilds told the media on Wednesday.

Currently Davis projects as a third- or fourth-round NFL draft pick. He’s a physical, potentially-durable runner with good burst who performs excellent in the screen game. He’ll have to develop his skills in pass protection and may not be fast enough to run away from NFL defenders.