A press conference would have been too emotional, so

junior quarterback

announced his decision to leave the program after two record-setting seasons through a press release.

It was the best and only way, according to his high school coach, Bob Jones, who said Thomas agonized over the decision but did what he felt was best for his future.

"He thought, 'What else is out there for me to accomplish before I take my next step?'" said Jones, who coached Thomas at Aldine High School in Houston, Texas.

So after much consideration and despite not being rated very highly on draft websites, Thomas is making the jump, shocking many observers and fans.

The University of Oregon announced his decision Saturday night, stating that Thomas had filed paperwork to enter the NFL draft.

The deadline for underclassmen to declare is Sunday.

"I came to this decision on behalf of myself and my family," Thomas said in a prepared statement released by Oregon. "I have a dream of playing in the NFL and I'm going to pursue those dreams."

Thomas continued: "I would like to thank everyone in Oregon for all their support and I would thank the coaches for all their help, especially Coach (Chip) Kelly. I love my teammates and wish them the best of luck, and am confident they will continue the winning tradition that has been established. Last but not least, I thank all the Oregon fans for their help and support."

Thomas will leave the program as one of its most prolific passers and biggest winners. He is Oregon's all-time leader in passing touchdowns with 66. He ranks sixth all-time in total offense (6,629) and seventh in career passing yards (5,910).

Jones said he, Kelly, Thomas' mother, Latina Thomas, and UO offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich acted as sounding boards for Darron Thomas. Each, Jones said, offered their input but the ultimate decision belonged to Thomas.

Kelly offered his support.

"As in all cases, we educate our players with the information we feel will be beneficial to them throughout the process but ultimately, the decision is left up to the players," Kelly said in the release. "I will always support Darron in his decision and want to thank him for everything he has done for this program. He obviously has played a major role in elevating Oregon football to new heights and I wish him well in the future."

After leading Oregon to two conference titles, a BCS National Championship game and the school's first Rose Bowl championship in 95 years, Thomas felt it was time to move on, Jones said.

"It's a situation where he just felt like it was time," Jones said. "He was ready to make that move. We're going to support him in whatever he does."

Thomas' draft prospects could be shaky.

Jones said he believes Thomas is ready for the challenge.

"He's always been the underdog," Jones said.

He very well could be just that once again.

rated him as the 12th-best quarterback prospect for the 2013 draft class. No rankings for 2012 have been updated to include Thomas just yet.

, said he didn't pay much attention to Thomas last season because he didn't expect him to enter the draft. But his early impression of Thomas led him to project him to be a sixth- or seventh-rounder, and possibly an undrafted rookie free agent.

"I thought it was a surprising decision considering the fact that he didn't make that many of what I would consider NFL-caliber throws this season," Rang said. "And he didn't show significant improvement over his first season."

Rang said Thomas has good height at 6-foot-3 but has a slim build at 215 pounds that will require time to add muscle mass. Accuracy could be a huge problem as well, Rang said. Thomas put up gaudy statistics but Rang said most came on throws to wide open receivers that lacked the accuracy needed for success in the NFL.

"He's definitely a project," Rang said.

Thomas' departure could be a blow to Oregon's chances at winning a fourth consecutive Pac-12 title. The Ducks also lost their all-time leading rusher, running back LaMichael James, as well as several other key starters on both sides of the ball.

Then again, many wondered how UO would survive the 2010 season after quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was dismissed from the team. Thomas led the Ducks to the BCS national title game.

Next up for the Ducks at quarterback could be

. As a redshirt freshman, Bennett showed flashes of brilliance in 2011 as a runner and was up and down as a passer while filling in for Thomas, who missed time with a knee injury.

Bennett completed 25 of 46 passes (54.3 percent) for 369 yards and six touchdowns with no interceptions.

Where Bennett dazzled the most was as a runner. Faster than Thomas and more of a threat in the open field, Bennett appears to be a perfect fit for the Ducks' spread-option attack. He rushed for 200 yards on just 23 carries.

--Aaron Fentress

Follow @AaronJFentress