Top college receiver Crabtree entering NFL draft

PLANO, Texas -- Two-time All-American receiver Michael Crabtree is leaving Texas Tech to catch passes in the NFL next season. [+] Enlarge

Peter G. Aiken/Getty Imagestbd by editor Crabtree announced his decision at a news conference Tuesday, with teammate and Big 12 sack leader Brandon Williams also announcing his plans to turn pro. For Crabtree, the move was no surprise considering he's expected to be a top 10 draft pick. Pretty good for a guy who caught only one pass in high school. Crabtree redshirted while making the conversion from high school quarterback to college receiver. That extra year means he's three years removed from high school and, thus, eligible for the draft. He had little left to prove in college, having averaged 120.3 yards and 1.6 touchdowns per game, extraordinarily high numbers even in coach Mike Leach's video game-esque offense. His career totals of 231 catches for 3,127 yards and 41 touchdowns would be remarkable over three or four years, but he compiled them in two. Big 12 blog

ESPN.com's Tim Griffin writes about all things Big 12 in his conference blog.

•Blog network Crabtree received the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top receiver as a freshman and sophomore. He was fifth in voting for the Heisman Trophy this past season. His most memorable play was a tackle-busting spin into the end zone with 1 second left to knock off top-ranked Texas in Lubbock. Texas Tech went on to reach 10-0 and No. 2 in the nation, but lost two if its final three games and finished the year ranked 12th. Crabtree sprained an ankle in the regular season finale and struggled in a loss to Mississippi in the Cotton Bowl. That helped convince him it was time to turn pro. Had the 6-foot-3, 214-pound Crabtree stayed in college, he would've faced the added challenge of breaking in a new quarterback. Texas Tech's longtime starter Graham Harrell just finished his eligibility and is eyeing the NFL.

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