Mizzou center Trystan Colon-Castillo declares for NFL Draft, third Tiger leaving early
Missouri Tigers offensive lineman Trystan Colon-Castillo is leaving college early for the NFL Draft, announcing his decision on Twitter on Tuesday.
Colon-Castillo is the third Mizzou player this year who’ll declare early for the draft, joining defensive tackle Jordan Elliott and tight end Albert Okwuegbunam. All three players had one year of eligibility remaining.
“This statement would not be possible without the people in my life who have helped me to get where I want to be,” Colon-Castillo wrote on Twitter. “I want to begin by thanking the man who first opened the door to my Mizzou experience, Barry Odom. He entrusted a small-town kid to represent the University of Missouri and I will be forever grateful for that and for his continued support throughout my career at Mizzou.
“I want to express how grateful I am that my experience at the University of Missouri is one that I have no regrets about. When I think about what has specifically made these years so meaningful, my mind goes straight to the brotherhood I’ve found in my teammates. Coming in, I could never have guessed the impact these guys would have on me as both my teammates and my friends.”
A 6-foot-4 center from Webb City, Colon-Castillo was a 2017 SEC All-Freshman team member. He started at center his last 38 games since he took over the starting job as a freshman.
“After many prayers, many discussions with the people who have shaped me, and much consideration, I have decided to begin the process of achieving a dream I have had for as long as I can remember and will be declaring for the 2020 NFL Draft.”
The next step for Colon-Castillo is the NFL Combine from Feb. 24-March 2. The NFL Draft is from April 23-25 in Paradise, Nevada. Colon-Castillo should be in the Day 3 range if he gets drafted, from the fourth to seventh round.