Eli Apple came to Ohio State as a highly touted recruit who enrolled early in Columbus after being swooned by Jim Tressel as a teenager. After Tressel's resignation, he helped Urban Meyer's program win Big Ten and national championships, quietly putting together an impressive career with each passing game.
Monday, Apple became the latest Buckeye to announce he's personally ready for the next step. The redshirt sophomore will leave two years of collegiate eligibility on the table in Columbus and enter the 2016 NFL Draft. Apple made the announcement on his Twitter account.
Apple blossomed into a linchpin of Ohio State's defense during the 2014 season, when the Buckeyes won the first-ever College Football Playoff national championship.