ASU football graduate student wide receiver Frank Darby has declared for the 2021 NFL Draft, he announced via social media Monday.
Darby will forgo a potential sixth season with the team after playing in 39 games across four seasons once redshirting his freshman year.
The wide receiver finished his Sun Devil career with 1,317 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns.
"It’s been an amazing five years filled with great memories and people at ASU, and I want to take the time to say thank you to the fans, families and supporters that who have opened their arms up to me in this unfamiliar state," Darby said in his video announcement. "ASU has given me so many great opportunities to reach my dream goals."
Darby finished the 2020 season with six receptions for 46 yards and a touchdown in three games played. He exited in the first half of ASU's season opener against USC with a rib injury and did not travel with the team for its season finale against Oregon State.
Darby looks to continue a recent trend of ASU wide receivers being picked in the first round of the NFL Draft. Former Sun Devil wide receivers N'Keal Harry and Brandon Aiyuk were each selected in the first round of their respective drafts by the New England Patriots and the San Fransisco 49ers, respectively, in the past two years.
Despite being a graduate student, Darby could have played a sixth season with the Sun Devils due to the NCAA approving a blanket waiver giving all fall sport athletes an additional year of eligibility due to potential disruption of sports seasons by the COVID-19 pandemic.
ASU was one of many schools that did face disruption to its football season this year, as three of the team's seven scheduled games were canceled due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the program.
Reach the reporter at jhorst2@asu.edu and follow @HorseySeven on Twitter.
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Jeffrey Horst is the digital editor-in-chief of The State Press. He previously served as the publication's sports editor and worked at Cronkite News and ArizonaSports.com.
