This felt like only a matter of time. On Wedensday, dynamic Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey announced he was leaving college early to declare for the NFL Draft.

In a letter on Stanford's website called "My Next Step," McCaffrey said it was "the best time to live out my dream" and that "there's nothing more I can put on film."

I've talked to many in and out of the game and received advice from people whose opinions I greatly respect, including Toby Gerhart, who was here for a game this season. I took their feedback and came to a conclusion: I'm ready.

I talked to Coach Shaw about everything. He completely agreed. Really, it just made sense. The opportunity is right in front of me.

McCaffrey went on to write about the difficulty of leaving Stanford, but this is, as he admits, a clear-cut choice. He is expected to be a first-round pick, per CBS Sports. That window may not be there a year from now.

The junior has been one of the most exciting and versatile players in college football over the past two seasons. He was a Heisman finalist in 2015 and totaled more than 3,800 yards during his breakout campaign. His 2,327 all-purpose yards and 16 touchdowns were solid, but less notable in 2016.

The timing is also right as far as workload goes. McCaffrey is a utility player who has nearly 600 rushing touches alone over the past two seasons. Put simply, he's put in the work and there's nothing else left for him to prove at this level.