AUBURN -- Quarterback Cam Newton, whose shooting star lit up Auburn like few before him, said Thursday he's leaving school a year early to enter the NFL Draft.

He's projected as a first-round pick in the April draft. ESPN's Mel Kiper has Newton as the second quarterback being selected as the 14th overall pick. Junior defensive tackle Nick Fairley may follow Newton to the draft. He's set to announce his plans in Mobile on Friday.

Newton, the Heisman Trophy winner, turned his one-year stay at Auburn into a one-year wonder. He led Auburn to the BCS national championship, smashed numerous Auburn and SEC records, flashed a winning smile and endured questions about his father's role during his recruitment at Mississippi State.

"This decision was difficult for me and my family," Newton said. "After talking to Coach Chizik and Coach Malzahn, I think it is best that I make that next step in my career and forgo my senior season and enter the NFL Draft. It was a very hard decision for me, especially after coming off the great season we had at Auburn. I'm blessed to have been around an excellent environment and have great teammates, coaches and support from the Auburn family.

"It's been a blessing for me to be a part of something so great," Newton said. "Any time you win games it's a big deal, but for this school to win a BCS National Championship, what a way to make people happy. Auburn is a special place that I can call home."

Said coach Gene Chizik: "We appreciate Cameron's many contributions to Auburn and the outstanding leader that he was for our football team," Auburn head coach Gene Chizik said. "He had one of the greatest individual seasons ever by an Auburn player and was a key part of our championship run."

Newton was as at ease on the football field as he was making his acceptance speech at Heisman Trophy banquet, or appearing on late night television with David Letterman and Jay Leno. He played his final game with a hurt back, but still led Auburn to a 22-19 win over Oregon in the BCS Championship Game.

Nothing slowed him, not injury, defenses or stories about his father. He accounted for a nation-best 51 touchdowns and became the first SEC player to throw for at least 2,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards. He led the league in rushing, setting the single-season record for rushing for a season by a quarterback.

Newton became one of only three players in NCAA history to throw for at least 20 touchdowns and rush for at least 20 touchdowns in the same season. He threw for 30 TDs, ran for 20 more and even caught one, breaking Auburn's single-season record for rushing touchdowns and passing touchdowns.

The record book will show he rushed for 1,473 yards and passed for 2,874 more.

Newton won the Heisman in a runaway vote. He also won the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and the Davey O'Brien Award for his quarterback play.

Auburn switched gears after the third game of the season when Newton became the unquestioned focal point. But it wasn't always easy. An ESPN story on Nov. 4 opened the door on whether Newton's father, Cecil Newton Sr., try to get money from Mississippi State boosters to get his son to play there. The NCAA would soon launch an investigation that determined his father tried to get money, but neither Cam Newton nor Auburn was involved in such a scheme.

Auburn suspended Newton for a day during the investigation as a procedural matter. The NCAA reinstated him the next day.

Auburn found Newton at Blinn Junior College by way of the University of Florida. By the time he was done, he had a Heisman Trophy and a national title.

Auburn will likely turn to Barrett Trotter as Newton's replacement. Newton beat out Trotter for the starting job last spring. Trotter appeared in five games in 2010, completing 5-of-9 passes.