HUNTINGTON, W.Va. —  Marshall junior quarterback Chase Litton will forgo his final season of eligibility and enter the 2018 National Football League Draft.
Litton, who is from Tampa, Florida, leaves the Thundering Herd as one of the most prolific passers in school history. He ranks fourth all-time in completions (727), fifth in passing yards (8,332) and fourth in touchdowns (72).
“First and foremost, I want to thank my teammates – my brothers,” Litton said.
“I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish anything like this without you. I want to thank Coach Doc Holliday and Marshall University for allowing me to be their quarterback for the past three seasons. My time in this prestigious program has readied me for this challenge and I will carry the ‘M’ around with me forever.
“I am because We Are.”
Litton started 34 games in three seasons. He helped Marshall to a 10-4 record as a true freshman, passing for 2,605 yards and 23 touchdowns in 11 games in 2015. He had his first 3,000-yard season in 2017, passing for 3,115 yards and a career-high 25 touchdowns as the Herd finished 8-5 and won the Gildan New Mexico Bowl.
The success of this season and the promise for 2018 weighed heavily on Litton during the decision-making process.
“This was an extremely tough decision,” Litton said. “Marshall has a ton of talent on both sides of the ball coming back for 2018, and there’s no doubt this coming season will be a special one. There will be high expectations for my brothers, and I will be their No. 1 fan.”
The 6-foot-6, 232-pound Litton is the second quarterback in school history to complete at least 60 percent of his passes in three consecutive seasons (Byron Leftwich). He is the 10th different Herd QB with a 3,000-yard season on his resume. He is one of four Marshall quarterbacks with at least 8,000 career passing yards and 70 touchdown passes, joining Rakeem Cato, Chad Pennington and Leftwich.
“We thank Chase for his contribution to Marshall Football and wish him the best of luck moving forward,” said Thundering Herd head coach Doc Holliday.
The 2018 NFL Draft will take place April 26-28 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. There are seven rounds and 256 selections.