It's Official: Ben Cleveland Declares for NFL Draft

It seems as if guard Ben Cleveland has been at Georgia for nearly a decade, but his five-year career has come to an end after he declared for the NFL Draft.

Georgia's offensive line has been a constant strong point during Kirby Smart's time as the head coach, and the time at Georgia for one of the consistent members of that group, Ben Cleveland, has come to an end. 

Cleveland has declared for the 2021 NFL Draft and will be opting out of the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl on Friday. 

In a statement he released on social media, Cleveland said the following: 

"After five incredible seasons as a Georgia Bulldog, I have decided to forgo the upcoming Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl to begin training for the 2021 NFL Draft. This decision did not come easy, but after talking with my family and coaches, I know the time is now to take this step towards my future. Football means the world to me, and I have dreamed about playing in the NFL since I was a kid. This has been a wild year with everything going on in the world, but I am healthy, prepared and ready for the next step.

"I'd like to thank my family for supporting me in my efforts over the years of pursuing my dream to play football at the highest levels, without your love, support, and encouragement, I wouldn't be where I am today."

According to head coach Kirby Smart, Cleveland returned to Georgia for his redshirt senior season after not receiving the NFL Draft grade that he preferred. However, Smart did say he believed Cleveland would really like the feedback he got from NFL evaluators this year and that appears to have come to fruition. 

Without Cleveland playing in the Peach Bowl and Trey Hill still out, it's going to be a new rotation of players along the offensive line yet again. 

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