Gophers DE Boye Mafe announces Tuesday's game will be his last for Minnesota

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. – Gophers defensive end Boye Mafe made it official Monday, announcing on Twitter that Tuesday night's Guaranteed Rate Bowl against West Virginia will be his final game for Minnesota.

Mafe, a fifth-year senior and former Hopkins High School standout, had the option of returning to college because of the 2020 waiver that the NCAA granted for COVID-19. Instead, he'll start preparation for his professional career, beginning with the Senior Bowl on Feb. 5 in Mobile, Ala.

"I came to the University of Minnesota as a young, immature boy, and now I'm leaving as a wiser man,'' Mafe wrote. "Going into my last game as a Gopher, I'm so happy to have one last go-round with our fans and my teammates. As I leave Minnesota, it means so much to me to leave this program with the Axe being where it belongs: Home."

The 6-4, 265-pound Mafe earned second-team All-Big Ten honors this year and is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. He leads the Gophers with nine tackles for loss and six sacks this year and has 18 tackles for loss and 13½ sacks in his career.

Gophers defensive end Esezi Otomewo and tackle Daniel Faalele also have accepted invitations to the Senior Bowl, and guard Blaise Andries also announced Dec. 20 his last game for Minnesota will be Tuesday. Andries will play in the East-West Shrine Bowl.