College football notes: Michigan's Jabrill Peppers announces he'll enter NFL draft

Jabrill Peppers is taking his do-it-all talent to the NFL.

The Heisman Trophy finalist announced his plans Tuesday to enter the draft and skip his senior season at Michigan.

"It's one of the hardest things I've ever had to do," Peppers said in an interview with Sports Illustrated. "I'm choosing between cementing my legacy as a college player and starting my pro legacy. It's something you dream of when you were a kid. I was torn between the two."

Peppers told the magazine he made his decision last week while with his family in New Jersey and told coach Jim Harbaugh on Monday.

"He thanked me and told me it was a pleasure to coach me," Peppers said. "I told him it was a pleasure to play for him. He molded me for the next level, that's how he operates. He runs his program like an NFL team."

The 6-1, 205-pound Peppers is projected to be a first-round pick in April. He led the Wolverines with 16 tackles for losses, including four sacks, ranked third with 72 tackles, had one interception and forced a fumble as a junior. He had 27 carries for 181 yards and three touchdowns on offense and also excelled on special teams.

• Other college standouts declaring for the NFL draft Tuesday included Wisconsin All-America tackle Ryan Ramczyk and Florida State tackle Rod Johnson.

People screamed as the buses pulled up, calling out "DE-SHAUN" over and over as Tigers star quarterback Deshaun Watson walked with his luggage and national championship hat into Clemson's football building.

"This means a lot," said receiver Mike Williams, who like Watson will forego his final year in college and enter the NFL draft.

And what a way to leave. Watson accounted for 463 yards and four touchdowns in the 35-31 victory over the top-ranked and seemingly unbeatable Crimson Tide. Watson's final college pass was a 2-yard throw to Hunter Renfrow for the game-winning score with one second left.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney says there should have been a foul called on the Tigers' game-winning touchdown against Alabama, and it should have been called on the Crimson Tide.

Swinney said Tuesday there was defensive pass interference on Clemson receiver Artavis Scott, who made contact with his defender and created some traffic that another Alabama defensive back got caught in on Renfrow's 2-yard TD catch with one second left Monday night. Alabama coaches and players thought it was the other way around. No call was made.

• Ohio State hired former Indiana coach Kevin Wilson to be co-offensive coordinator with the newly hired Ryan Day and also coach tight ends. Wilson went 26-47 in six seasons at Indiana and last season led the Hoosiers to their first bowl game since 2007.