Louisiana football's Andre Jones declares for 2023 NFL Draft, will skip Independence Bowl

Louisiana football will be without one of top defensive playmakers when it takes on Houston in the Independence Bowl later this month.

Senior outside linebacker and pass rusher Andre Jones declared for the 2023 NFL Draft on Tuesday, putting an end to his four-year career with the Ragin' Cajuns.

"Thank you to all of my coaches from my time here at Louisiana," Jones wrote on Twitter. "From the beginning, I have grown so much on and off the field, it has been an honor to be coached by you all. I appreciate y'all giving a kid from a small town a chance to chase his dreams.

"To my teammates, I love you and the journey has been unbelievable. I am happy to have the memories we've made and will cherish our friendships forever. I am proud to say I am entering the 2023 NFL Draft and will fulfill a lifelong dream of playing football at the highest level."

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Jones is part of the one the most illustrious signing classes in UL history, a group that's helped the program to in most successful stretch winning four straight division championships, a Sun Belt championship and guided the Cajuns to five straight bowl appearances.

Louisiana has won 46 games over the past five seasons, a mark few Group of Five teams has been able to match during that span, and Jones played a big part on it.

The Varnado, Louisiana, native ended his stellar career with the Cajuns by leading the defense in 2022 in sacks with 7.5 and recorded with 51 tackles with an interception and a forced fumble. He finished with 17.5 sacks and 209 total tackles in six seasons at UL.

Jones' decision to skip the Independence Bowl and focus on getting ready for the NFL Draft was an expected move. It's possible more players could declare for the NFL Draft and opt out of the bowl game.

Some projections have Jones as a late round selection while most don't have him listed among the top 30 outside linebackers.

Cory Diaz covers the LSU Tigers and Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns for The Daily Advertiser as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his Tigers and Cajuns coverage on Twitter: @ByCoryDiaz. Got questions regarding LSU/UL athletics? Send them to Cory Diaz at bdiaz@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana football LB Andre Jones declares for 2023 NFL Draft