Oklahoma center Creed Humphrey declared for the NFL draft on Thursday, shortly before Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum announced he would return for the 2021 season.
Linderbaum and Humphrey are ranked as the No. 2 and No. 3 draft-eligible centers by ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.
Humphrey started for No. 6 Oklahoma in Wednesday’s 55-20 win over No. 7 Florida in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. He started the final 26 games of his career, earning Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year honors for the second time this season. The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Humphrey earned second-team AP All-America honors in 2019.
“Playing at the University of Oklahoma these past four years has been everything I hoped for and more,” Humphrey posted on Twitter. “… After talking with my coaches and family, I have decided that it is time for me to begin the next chapter of my life. I will be declaring for the 2021 NFL draft.”
Sooner born, sooner bred, and when I die I’ll be sooner dead. #Boomer pic.twitter.com/f5kn5tLycV
— Creed Humphrey (@creed_humphrey) December 31, 2020
Linderbaum wrote on Twitter that while the NFL is a dream for him, he is “not done being an Iowa Hawkeye.”
Excited for the future, Go Hawks! pic.twitter.com/O4nJ5lrlWv
— Tyler Linderbaum (@TLinderbaum) December 31, 2020
Linderbaum has made 21 consecutive starts at center for Iowa and is a finalist for the Rimington Trophy, given to the nation’s top center. A converted defensive lineman, he earned second-team AP All-America honors this season and was first-team All-Big Ten.
