By Nathanael Gabler
The Oxford Eagle

OXFORD — On the same day he was named to the All-Southeastern Conference first team by the league’s coaches, Ole Miss wide receiver A.J. Brown made another obvious decision official.

Brown, the junior who set all of Ole Miss’ major receiving records, announced Tuesday on Twitter that he will forgo his remaining year of college eligibility and enter the 2019 NFL draft.

Brown will leave as one of the most accomplished Rebels of all time. The Starkville native holds school records in both career receiving yards with 2,984 and the top two receiving seasons in Ole Miss history. This season he totaled 1,320 yards and six touchdowns on 85 receptions. The 85 receptions were also an Ole Miss single-season record.

Brown was named to both the Associated Press All-SEC first team and the All-SEC Coaches first team. He was a unanimous pick for the Associated Press team announced Monday, and joined Alabama’s Jerry Jeudy as the two receivers picked for the coaches’ first team announced Tuesday.

“I just want to start off by saying thank you to the Ole Miss family. You have welcomed me with open arms. Ole Miss is a special place and has been since I took my first official visit,” Brown said in a statement via Twitter. “With all that being said, I would like to announce that I will be forgoing my senior season and declaring for the 2019 NFL Draft. I love you Ole Miss, and it is true: you don’t have to be blood to be family. You just have to be real.”

The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Brown is widely viewed as one of the top receivers in the 2019 draft class and is expected to be picked in the first round.

In Sports Illustrated’s most recent mock draft, Albert Breer predicted Brown would go 21st overall to the Washington Redskins.

Brown is one of a handful of Rebels who could be leaving school early. Fellow receiver D.K. Metcalf already announced his decision to leave, needing less than 24 hours following the Egg Bowl loss to Mississippi State on Thanksgiving make it official. Metcalf missed the final month of the season with a neck injury.

Left tackle Greg Little and tight end Dawson Knox are also potential candidates to leave early, as both are projected to be drafted in the first two rounds.

Little was also named to the coaches All-SEC first team on Tuesday.