Daniel Paulling

The Clarion-Ledger

OXFORD - The chant started as soon as wide receiver Laquon Treadwell appeared on camera for a postgame interview and continued throughout the trophy celebration several minutes later.

“One more year,” thousands upon thousands of Ole Miss fans shouted after the team had beaten Oklahoma State 48-20 in the Sugar Bowl Friday, hoping it wouldn’t be the last time they would see Treadwell playing for the Rebels. “One more year.”

The allure of playing in the NFL, however, proved too much for Treadwell. The junior declared early Monday afternoon that he would forgo his senior season and pursue a professional career.

“After sitting down with my family, we have decided it is time for me to take the next step in my career and enter the 2016 NFL Draft,” Treadwell said in a statement released by Ole Miss. “It's always been a dream of mine to play in the NFL, and I can't thank my teammates, coaches and our great fans enough for their unbelievable support since the first day I stepped foot on campus.

“No matter how far life may take us, I will always be an Ole Miss Rebel. God bless.”

Treadwell ends his three-year career as the most accomplished Ole Miss receiver ever.

He set 12 program records, including most career catches (202), most catches in a game (14) and most consecutive games with a touchdown catch (six). Treadwell finished with 82 receptions for 1,153 yards and 11 touchdowns this season, all single-season records.

The 6-foot-2, 216-pound Treadwell was also the program’s first Biletnikoff Award finalist and caught the seventh-most career passes in Southeastern Conference history.

His time with the Rebels ends with 2,393 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns. He missed four games after suffering a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle in his left leg after being tackled by Auburn's Kris Frost last season.

Notes: Laquon Treadwell sets Rebel records

“It was an honor to have coached Laquon, and our family will miss him greatly,” coach Hugh Freeze said in a statement. “The commitment that he and others in his class made to our program three years ago has changed the culture of Ole Miss. I’m so proud of what he accomplished here, and I look forward to seeing him continue to grow and shine as a player and a person.”

The Rebels will likely rely upon tight end Evan Engram and wide receivers Quincy Adeboyejo, DaMarkus Lodge and Damore’ea Stringfellow next season to fill Treadwell’s absence.

Treadwell said last week that he needed to speak with his family and think more after the bowl game before deciding. The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft is Jan. 18.

Treadwell’s plan after signing with the Rebels in 2013 was to enter the NFL Draft after three seasons if the opportunity presented itself. He joined classmate Robert Nkemdiche in foregoing his senior season, while left tackle Laremy Tunsil is likely to do the same.

Multiple mock drafts have projected Treadwell to be chosen within the first 10 picks of next April’s draft. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. named Treadwell the 17th-best player potentially available, praising his size, speed and explosiveness.

Ole Miss' Laquon Treadwell earned two first-team All-SEC

“Treadwell has exceptional ballskills and catch radius with strong hands,” CBSSports.com draft analyst Dane Brugler said last month. “He isn’t a sudden athlete, but he plays with athletic twitch and power to be a threat after the catch.

“Treadwell has the skillset to play in the NFL right now at only 20 years old and develop into a legitimate number one target, drawing a lot of similarities to (the Dallas Cowboys’) Dez Bryant.”

The Rebels won 27 games over Treadwell’s three seasons, including the Sugar Bowl. He caught six passes for 71 yards and three touchdowns and completed a 45-yard pass in his last game.

The chants that filled the Superdome afterward left a big impression on Treadwell, who was asked about them afterward while sitting next to quarterback Chad Kelly.

“I see the tears in his eyes,” Kelly said.

“Being injured a year ago and coming back and getting the ‘one more year’ chant was a blessing,” Treadwell said. “I really don’t know how to explain it. I probably haven’t grasped it yet, but it was really big. Rebel nation has always supported us and been with us.”

Contact Daniel Paulling at dpaulling@jackson.gannett.com. Follow @DanielPaulling on Twitter.