College Football

Miami Hurricanes Running Back Joe Yearby Declares for NFL Draft

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:47 a.m. ET

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In what has been widely speculated since late in the season, Miami Hurricanes Running Back Joe Yearby has announced his intention to enter the NFL Draft.

Yearby who was Miami’s starting running back in 2015, fell to third on the depth chart by the end of the 2016 season. Yearby rushed for nearly half of his career total in 2015, finishing with 1,002 yards. He set career highs in 2015 in rushing yards, carries and receptions, as well as receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

Yearby joins teammates, Tight End David Njoku and Quarterback Brad Kaaya to officially declare for the NFL Draft. Yearby’s departure should be the easiest to absorb. The Hurricanes are deep at running back.

Yearby was the backup to Mark Walton throughout most of the 2016 season, but Gus Edwards passed him on the depth chart in the Hurricanes 34-14 win at Virginia. Yearby had just six carries for 33 yards in the season’s final three games. He finished 2016 averaging six yards per carry. That was second only to Travis Homer who had only seven carries for 44 yards.

Yearby was a big part of the Miami offense this season until Edwards passed him. He and Walton both began the season with 100 yard games against Florida A&M and Florida Atlantic. Yearby rushed for 227 yards on 27 carries with three touchdowns in the first two games. He finished 2016 with 608 yards on 102 carries.

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He had five rushing touchdowns in the season’s first four games. He added another one against North Carolina to have six rushing TD’s in the season’s first six games and having scored in five of the first six games of 2016. Yearby finished the season with a career high seven rushing touchdowns.

Yearby finishes his career with 2,119 yards on 393 carries and 14 rushing touchdowns. He added 41 receptions for 456 yards and three touchdowns. He leaves Miami ninth in career rushing yards and his 1,002 yards ranked tenth in school history until he was passed by Walton this season.

In an Instagram post that has since been deleted, Yearby indicated his intentions after the Duke game. He has not posted anything on his Twitter page since November 28. His last Instagram post was December 29.

Yearby is not let listed on CBSSports.Com’s list of NFL running backs. The Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller projects Yearby to be a sixth round pick by the Kansas City Chiefs.

NFL Draft Scout has Yearby listed as the 22nd best Running Back in their rankings. He is listed at 5’9 207 with a 4.52 time in the 40 yard dash.