Jarrett Stidham will be back to lead Auburn's offense in 2018.

Following a three-day hunting trip in the "middle of nowhere" north of the Mexican border, the Tigers' starting quarterback announced his decision to return to school for his redshirt junior season and pass on the NFL Draft for at least one more year.

"Made the decision to stay at Auburn," Stidham posted on Twitter on Friday night. "We have unfinished business and I'm excited for what the 2018 season holds! War Eagle, Auburn Family!"

In his first season at Auburn, Stidham put together the second-most prolific passing campaign in school history, completing 66.5 percent of his passes for 3,158 yards, 18 touchdowns and six interceptions. Only former Auburn quarterback Dameyune Craig, a one-time Tigers assistant coach, has passed for more yards in a single season in program history; Craig passed for 3,277 yards in 1997.

After starting his career at Baylor, Stidham transferred to Auburn following a year away from competitive football and earned the Tigers' starting quarterback job during fall camp. He got off to an uneven start to the year, looking at time gun-shy early in the season, but settled in and found a groove within Auburn's offense.

He helped lead Auburn to wins against rivals Georgia and Alabama, both of which were undefeated and ranked No. 1 in the College Football Playoff rankings entering those games, and the SEC West title. Stidham struggled with turnovers in the SEC Championship Game, a rematch against Georgia, as well as Monday's Peach Bowl against UCF as Auburn finished the season on a two-game losing streak.

Stidham said after Monday's game that he has "a lot of work to do" in the offseason.

Stidham's decision to return in 2018 gave Auburn some good news on the NFL Draft front after four juniors declared early this week. SEC Offensive Player of the Year Kerryon Johnson announced his decision to turn pro on Tuesday, while All-America cornerback Carlton Davis, running back Kamryn Pettway and Buck defensive end Jeff Holland all declared for the draft on Wednesday.

AL.com will update this post.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.