Oklahoma running back Joe Mixon announced Thursday that he will enter the 2017 NFL Draft.
Mixon starred for Oklahoma the last two seasons but sat out the 2014 season after punching a female student, fracturing four bones in her face. Mixon recently released video of the incident after a court ruling made it public.
Mixon was put on probation for a year as part of a plea deal to a misdemeanor assault charge. A lawsuit brought by the woman he punched is pending.
Last month, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said Mixon would have been immediately dismissed from the team if the incident happened today. Instead, Mixon was allowed to play and ran for over 2,000 yards and scored 26 touchdowns over the last two seasons.
Considering most teams removed Chiefs rookie running back Tyreek Hill from their draft boards given his domestic violence history, Mixon could have a long wait to hear his name called on draft day. In the meantime, he’ll be one of the most scrutinized prospects throughout the pre-draft process.