The Oregon Ducks are seeing one of their best defensive players opt out of one final year of eligibility and head off to the 2025 NFL Draft.

On Monday, safety Kobe Savage announced that he would officially be moving on from the collegiate level and entering the draft, looking to go pro next year. This was expected to be the case all year long, but after the recent ruling from the NCAA that gave any former junior college player an extra year of eligibility, the door was open for Savage to return to Eugene for one more year.

In his first year with the Ducks, Savage was among the team’s leading tacklers, racking up 64 takedowns with three tackles for loss.

Savage joins running back Jordan James in the small group of players to have opted out of their final year of eligibility and head to the NFL draft. Meanwhile, both WR Evan Stewart and LB Bryce Boettcher announced earlier this month that they would be coming back to Eugene for another year with “unfinished business” to attend to.

Oregon safety Kobe Savage not returning for 2025 season in Eugene. pic.twitter.com/yfA8nbgvRd

— Zachary Neel (@zacharycneel) January 28, 2025