FSU WR Auden Tate Declares for NFL Draft

There is some debate over who Florida State’s starting quarterback will be in 2018, but whoever it is will be without a key target.

Junior wide receiver Auden Tate announced on Saturday that he would forego his senior season and enter the 2018 NFL Draft. Tate joins safety Derwin James, defensive end Josh Sweat and tight end Ryan Izzo as Seminoles to declare early.

Tate is coming off a career-year in which he caught 40 passes for 548 yards and 10 touchdowns. The 6-foot-5 target from South Carolina became the first FSU receiver to catch at least 10 touchdown passes since Kelvin Benjamin in 2013.

With Tate declaring for the draft, an already thin receiving corps looks to get a bit thinner. Leading receiver Nyqwan Murray and Keith Gavin would be the only returning scholarship receivers with at least 10 career catches.

Mike Ferguson is the editor of The Daily Nole. Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeWFerguson