BATON ROUGE -- LSU football standout junior left tackle Will Campbell will forego his final year of eligibility and enter his name in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Campbell announced his intentions via his Instagram page Tuesday. Those around the football program expected Campbell to take the next step in his football career.

"There aren't enough words to describe the impact LSU, the Baton Rouge community and the state of Louisiana has had on my life," Campbell said in a written statement. "Over the past three years, I was blessed to live out my childhood dream of being an LSU Tiger ... Thank you, coach Brian Kelly for the leadership and opportunity to play at my dream school. Specifically, I'd like to thank (LSU offensive line coach) Brad Davis, Steve Demao, Adam Kleffner, Kanan Ray and John McDonell. I appreciate everything you've poured into me to become the best version of myself, not only as a player but as a person.

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"To Tiger Nation, thank you for your love, support and unmatched traditions. Running out of the tunnel in Death Valley is something that can't be explained. Thank you for being the best fans in the world ... After much prayer and discussion with my family, I will forego my final year of eligibility at LSU and declare for the 2025 NFL Draft. I will always cherish my time at LSU."

Coming into the 2024 season, Campbell was projected by some analysts to be a top five draft choice this April. Latest mock drafts still have Campbell taken safely in the first round with some seeing him come off the board in the mid teens.

Campbell has started every game in his LSU career and was a Freshman All-American in 2022. He's been LSU's most consistent offensive lineman the last three seasons, playing what many call the most important position in football the left tackle spot.

It is unclear if Campbell will suit up for the Tigers in their bowl game, which will be announced Sunday.

Campbell is the first of LSU's draft eligible player to make their declaration for the NFL Draft official. Some other players like quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and right tackle Emery Jones Jr. are a couple names to watch in the coming days.

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Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU football standout LT Will Campbell declares for 2025 NFL Draft