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Anthony Johnson off to NFL

Defensive tackle Anthony Johnson became the first LSU underclassman to announce his plans for 2014, revealing Thursday that he will enter the NFL draft.

"These last three years at LSU have been good to me, but I have made the decision to enter the 2014 NFL draft," Johnson announced on Twitter.

Johnson led the Tigers with nine tackles for a loss and tied for second on the team with three sacks this season. He also recorded 35 tackles and an interception.

Johnson -- the nation's No. 2 overall prospect in the ESPN 150 when he signed with LSU in 2011 -- was rated as one of the top defensive tackle prospects for the 2014 draft when the season started. However, teammate Ego Ferguson, who missed Wednesday's Outback Bowl with an unspecified medical condition, passed Johnson in some draft analysts' estimation during the season.

In his position-by-position prospect rankings from November, ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. rated Ferguson fourth and Johnson fifth among non-senior defensive tackle prospects.

Ferguson has not yet announced his draft plans, but his decision could come in the next several days -- as could those of LSU receivers Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham, tailback Jeremy Hill, and offensive tackle La'el Collins.