Mississippi St. OL Charles Cross to skip bowl game, enter NFL Draft

The declarations of soon-to-be NFL Draft picks continue. Mississippi State offensive tackle Charles Cross will opt out of his team’s bowl game and focus on his professional career, per ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller (via Twitter).

Cross’ college career will come to an end after two seasons in the SEC. Listed at six-foot-five, 310 pounds, the redshirt sophomore is widely regarded as one of the top prospects across any offensive line position and is thought to be a likely top-10 pick.

In a tweet, Cross said in part: 

“Over the past three years, I have grown off the field just as much as I have developed on it… I will always remember and be thankful for my time as a Bulldog and will continue to proudly represent Mississippi State as I pursue my dream of playing in the NFL.”

Mississippi State finished the 2021 season with a 7-5 record and will play 6-6 Texas Tech on Dec. 28 in the Liberty Bowl.