The Tennessee Volunteers will try to regroup from an abysmal 2017 season next year under new head coach Jeremy Pruitt.

However, they’ll have to do so without star RB John Kelly, who made a surprising decision on Friday afternoon.

According to a post on Kelly’s Instagram page, he is going to forgo his senior season and declare for the 2018 NFL Draft:

I’d like to take this opportunity to announce that I will be declaring for the 2018 NFL Draft and thank so many that were instrumental in getting me to where I am today. From my time in Detroit to my collegiate career at Tennessee, words can’t express my gratitude to everyone that has helped me throughout my journey. To my friends and family, I want to thank you for always being there for me. To my teammates, and coaching staff, I want to thank you for always pushing me to better myself and grow on and off the field. To Vol Nation, I want to thank you for all of your support through all of the highs and lows. I will always call Neyland Stadium home. As I take the next step in my career, I will never forget where it all began. Detroit and Tennessee will always be a part of me at every step of this journey and I promise to always represent you well. With everything you’ve given to me, that’s the least I can do for you all. From the bottom of my heart – thank you, all. Go Vols!

A post shared by John M. Kelly ll (@jkshuttlesworth) on

“I’d like to take this opportunity to announce that I will be declaring for the 2018 NFL Draft and thank so many that were instrumental in getting me to where I am today,” he said in the post. “From my time in Detroit to my collegiate career at Tennessee, words can’t express my gratitude to everyone that has helped me throughout my journey. To my friends and family, I want to thank you for always being there for me. To my teammates, and coaching staff, I want to thank you for always pushing me to better myself and grow on and off the field. To Vol Nation, I want to thank you for all of your support through all of the highs and lows. I will always call Neyland Stadium home. As I take the next step in my career, I will never forget where it all began. Detroit and Tennessee will always be a part of me at every step of this journey and I promise to always represent you well. With everything you’ve given to me, that’s the least I can do for you all. From the bottom of my heart – thank you, all. Go Vols!”

That’s a huge blow for the Vols offense, obviously, and they’ll have to find a new feature back (although Ty Chandler looked good in limited action this year).

Still, Kelly’s absence will certainly be felt on Rocky Top next season as the Vols try to rebuild a program that went 0-8 in SEC play in 2017.