Leonte Carroo

Rutgers wide receiver Leonte Carroo announced that he will return to play for coach Kyle Flood next season. (William Perlman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)

((William Perlman | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com))

DETROIT — Rutgers' 40-21 win over North Carolina in the Quick Lane Bowl was the second best news of the day for the Scarlet Knights.

The best development for the program came shortly after the game ended, when junior wide receiver Leonte Carroo stood on a chair in the locker room and announced that he will return to Rutgers for his senior season.

"Coach (Kyle Flood) just came in here and said, 'Do you want to say something to the team?' I was like, 'Sure,' and he gave me the opening," Carroo said. "I announced it to the team and everyone was going crazy. I know they're very excited."

Carroo was considering an early exit after catching 55 passes for 1,086 yards and 10 touchdowns this season to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors.

The Edison native submitted for an evaluation from the NFL Draft Advisory Board. The board has changed the feedback it provides underclassmen, with prospects now getting one of three reviews: possible first round, possible second round pick, or a recommendation to return to school.

“This year they do it a little differently so they try to get juniors to stay in school more," Carroo said. "You get your report back and it just says, ‘First round, second round or stay in school.’ Mine actually said, ‘Stay in school.’ That doesn’t mean that I couldn’t have went third or fourth round. It was just a smart decision for me and my family. I just feel like next year is going to be a better year and one more year won’t hurt.”

Hey #CHOPnation, @c4rroonation has something to tell you........... A video posted by Rutgers Football (@rfootball) on Dec 12, 2014 at 5:38pm PST

Carroo was advised to return to school to continue developing his technique, with a focus on separation and getting out of cuts faster.

“NFL scouts have told me that I need to work on," Carroo said. "They already told me things like production don’t matter. I’ve shown what I can do at the college level as far as touchdowns and catches. They just want to see me work on the little things to improve on my game.”

Carroo came to the decision after talking about it with his family last week. Carroo tied the single-season record for touchdown catches and he needs only two touchdown catches next season to set the school's career record.

Carroo will chase those records with a new quarterback after playing with Gary Nova for his entire college career and most of his high school career at Don Bosco Prep. Carroo isn't wasting any time building a new connection with Chris Laviano and Hayden Rettig, who will battle this offseason to replace Nova.

“It’s a new experience," Carroo said. "I’ve been playing with the same quarterback for eight years. It’s a new challenge, so I’m excited for the challenge. You never know what could happen. I could get a connection with one of these guys and that connection is going to start as soon as we get back. No days off. Hayden’s not here, but I told Chris in the locker room just now, ‘As soon as we get back, I had a great connection with Gary and I’m looking to build a great connection with you or Hayden.’ ”

Junior left tackle Keith Lumpkin told NJ Advance Media that he will return for his senior season. Junior tight end Tyler Kroft told NJ Advance Media that he hasn't made a decision yet. Kroft plans to meet with his family in the next few days and then make a decision.

Rutgers football wide receiver Leonte Carroo 12 Gallery: Rutgers football wide receiver Leonte Carroo

Dan Duggan may be reached at dduggan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DDuggan21. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.