AMES, Ia. — When the 2018 season ended, Hakeem Butler faced a dilemma: Should he enter the NFL draft or return to Iowa State for his senior season and up his intrigue even more?

Iowa State's star wide receiver has made his decision, he told the Register: He's headed to the pros.

Butler will forgo his senior season with the Cyclones to enter the NFL draft.

"It was a very tough decision to move on to the next level and just leave behind all my friends and knowing I could have spent another year with them or played another year in college," Butler said Monday night. "It's tough. It's time to get into the real world and be a man I guess."

It's a big, but not shocking, blow to the Cyclones, who lose one of the most successful wide receivers in the program's history. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound star evolved into a human highlight reel for the Cyclones.

Butler was buried behind a group of talented wide receivers early in his career. He grabbed nine passes for 134 yards and two touchdowns in 2016. He followed, though, with a breakout season in 2017, tallying 41 receptions for 697 yards and seven touchdowns.

With Allen Lazard gone to the NFL in 2018, Butler had the stage to himself. He didn't disappoint, grabbing a team-high 60 receptions and nine touchdown catches while setting a single-season school record for receiving yards (1,318).

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Butler finished his career with 110 receptions for 2,149 yards and 18 touchdowns in 37 games. His 2,149 receiving yards ranks fourth in school history. Butler's 110 career receptions ranks 14th. But he won’t be adding to those totals now that he's decided to make the jump to the NFL.

"I feel like I"m the best receiver in the draft honestly," Butler said

You can't blame Butler for making this leap. A mock draft by CBS Sports had Butler projected for the first round. NFL teams love his big frame. And over the years, he compiled a long list of incredible, acrobatic catches.

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