McFadden & Jones Leaving For NFL Draft

Darren McFadden isn't sticking around for another run at the Heisman Trophy. The Arkansas star announced Monday he'll skip his senior season and head to the NFL. McFadden was the Heisman runner-up in 2006 and 2007, so his decision to turn pro was not a surprising one. He ran for 1,830 yards last season, good for second place on the Southeastern Conference's single-season list. He is also second on the career list with 4,590 yards rushing. Felix Jones, the Razorbacks' other talented tailback, said he'll also enter the draft a year early. McFadden rushed for over 1,000 yards all three seasons at Arkansas. Jones did it the last two. They were part of a backfield that also included senior fullback Peyton Hillis, another NFL prospect. Now Arkansas will have to rebuild under new coach Bobby Petrino. McFadden, who is from Little Rock, made an immediate impression in 2005. He ran for 1,113 yards and was named SEC freshman of the year. In 2006, he led Arkansas on a 10-game winning streak and was second in the Heisman race to Ohio State's Troy Smith. It was during that season that the Razorbacks began using McFadden in the shotgun at quarterback -- he could run, throw or hand off to Jones. The formation was devastating initially, and Arkansas finished 10-4. This season, the Razorbacks lost their first three SEC games but rebounded late. They beat then-Number One LSU in the regular-season finale. McFadden ran for 206 yards and three touchdowns and also threw for a touchdown in Arkansas' triple-overtime 50-48 win. McFadden also tied an SEC record with 321 yards rushing in a November win over South Carolina.