When senior cornerback Elijah Blades announced he was opting out of the 2020 season, he said that he planned to return in 2021. Those plans have changed.

Blades announced Tuesday via his Twitter account that he has decided to declare for the NFL Draft:

“First off I want to start off by saying thank you to Coach Fisher, Elko and Mo for believing in my abilities and welcoming me home at Texas A&M University. My time at Texas A&M has been full of ups and downs but it has made me grow as both a person and a player. I also want to say I appreciate everyone who’s had a helping hand with me at A&M. There’s nothing better than being on an island hearing that 12th Man screaming. I’ve been on the road to recovery to get back to 100 percent from surgery and now that I have, I wanted to announce that I will be foregoing my last season and entering the NFL Draft. My time at A&M has been amazing and I will truly miss my fellow players. Good luck this season and of course Gig ‘Em!”

Blades, a former JUCO standout, started six games for the Aggies last season before missing the final three games of 2019 due to injury. Blades registered 19 tackles, 1.5 sacks and 3 passes defended last season.