By Brad Greer

Memphis junior running back and former South Panola standout Darrell Henderson announced Wednesday he will forgo his senior year to enter the NFL draft.

“I will be forever grateful for my time at the University of Memphis and the opportunity it has provided me to achieve my dream  of playing in the NFL,” said Henderson via his Twitter feed.

Henderson  led the nation with 2.328 all-purpose yards and 22 rushing touchdowns and was second leading rusher in the nation with 25 total touchdowns and 1,909 rushing yards.

The 1,909 rushing yards this season was the third-most in program history and his 22 touchdowns tied the single-season program record.

In three years at Memphis, Henderson rushed for 3,545 career yards while accounting for 45 touchdowns, the second most in school history.

The Batesville native is ranked by Mel Kiper, the national guru of the NFL draft, as the third best running back available this year. His place in the draft is highly dependent on which positions the teams with the highest draft picks are looking to fill.

If last year’s draft is an indication, Henderson can be expected to be chosen somewhere middle to late first round or early second round. Based on last year’s draft picks, he should be offered a rookie contract of between six and nine million dollars, and a signing bonus between three and five million.