Tennessee LB Jeremy Banks opts out of Orange Bowl, declares for 2023 NFL Draft

Tennessee linebacker Jeremy Banks decided to opt out of the Orange Bowl and declare for the NFL Draft, according to a statement released on Twitter.

“I want to thank my family and friends for always having my back,” he wrote. “To my teammates, 1Love from JB forever and always go hard while glorifying God! To the Knoxville community, I appreciate you guys for being a positive light. To the young athletes, growing up chasing this dream, among these 3 things will get you here faster than ever your education, hard work and discipline! 

“To everyone who’s on this journey with me, let’s ride! You are my inspiration!”

More on the 2023 NFL Draft

The 2023 NFL Draft is set to take place from Thursday, April 27 through Saturday, April 29 in Kansas City, Missouri. The event will be held at the plaza just outside of Union Station.

Round 1 of the NFL Draft is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, Apr. 27. Rounds 2-3 will begin at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Apr. 28, and Rounds 4-7 will begin at 12 p.m. ET on Saturday, Apr. 29. The draft will be broadcasted throughout the weekend on both ESPN and NFL Network.

To be eligible for the NFL Draft, players must be at least three years removed from their final year of high school while having used up their collegiate eligibility. Underclassmen are able to request league approval to become eligible for the draft, as are players who have graduated prior to using up all of their collegiate eligibility. 100 underclassman were approved for last year’s draft. 73 of those 100 underclassmen were granted special eligibility while 27 of them were underclassmen who had completed their college degrees.

The 2023 NFL scouting combine will take place from Feb. 28 through March 6 in Indianapolis.