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USATSI

Ole Miss junior receiver Elijah Moore announced Thursday that he is declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft. Moore leads the SEC in total receptions this season with 86 and is second in receiving yards with 1,193 behind Alabama star DeVonta Smith.

"Since I was 6 years old, I have had dreams about playing in the NFL and to make a better way for me and my family," Moore wrote in a message posted to social media. "After many prayers, tremendous consideration and countless discussions, I will now focus my attention on the 2021 NFL Draft."

Moore is considered a potential early-round draft pick after building upon a solid sophomore season. Though just 5-foot-9, he has high-level speed that has been on display throughout the 2020 season as Ole Miss has developed one of the SEC's top offenses under first-year coach Lane Kiffin. Moore has surpassed 200 yards receiving on three occasions this season, including in a season-opening loss to Florida when he racked up 227 yards in a surefire indication that he was primed for a breakout season.

A four-star prospect coming out of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Moore made an immediate impact on the Rebels with 36 receptions before increasing that total to 67 as a sophomore last season. 

Moore's sophomore season will also be remembered for its final game. After scoring to bring the Rebels within a point of archrival Mississippi State with four seconds left, he mimicked a urinating dog in the end zone. That earned him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which was enforced on the extra point. Ole Miss kicker Luke Logan missed the longer than usual kick, and Ole Miss lost the game.