Ronald Jones Declares for 2018 NFL Draft, Forgoes Senior Season at USC

USC running back Ronald Jones announced on Friday that he is entering the 2018 NFL draft, per USC Athletics:

"He reminds me of Reggie Bush," former USC star running back LenDale White told Zach Helfand of the Los Angeles Times in early November. "When he gets out in the open field, nobody's going to tackle him."

In his first two seasons, he rushed for 2,069 yards and 20 touchdowns, averaging an impressive 6.2 yards per carry. That production only improved in his junior campaign, as Jones had 261 carries for 1,550 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground. He also had 14 catches for 187 yards and a receiving touchdown. Jones eclipsed the century mark on the ground nine times this season.

That made Jones a virtual lock to turn pro. In mid-November, B/R's Matt Miller listed Jones as the No. 18 prospect overall, the No. 3 running back behind only Penn State's Saquon Barkley and LSU's Derrius Guice and called him the fastest running back in the draft.

Dane Brugler of NFLDraftScout.com believes Jones will be a second-round selection, joining the likes of Stanford's Bryce Love, Alabama's Damien Harris and Georgia's Nick Chubb.

Regardless, it would have been surprising if Jones opted to return to USC for his senior season, risking injury or potentially adversely affecting his draft stock in the process. Expect to hear his name called in the first two rounds instead.