The signs were all there, and the announcement Thursday evening made it official for Oklahoma running back Rhamondre Stevenson.

Another case of a Sooner going out on a high note as Stevenson announced he is not coming back to Norman and will indeed enter the 2021 NFL Draft.

Stevenson becomes the fifth Sooner to declare for the Draft, joining offensive linemen Creed Humphrey and Adrian Ealy and defensive backs Tre Brown and Tre Norwood.

OU fans had hope for Stevenson returning, but under the circumstances and when you play running back, you have to do what’s best for you and your career.

Following an NCAA suspension that had him miss last year’s Peach Bowl and the first five games of the 2020 season, Stevenson was a man possessed for the Sooners during the second half of the year.

He started with a bang with three touchdowns and a T-shirt under his jersey that said, “I’m Back,” and he never slowed up the rest of the way.

Stevenson was named the Offensive Player of the Game for OU’s 55-20 dismantling of Florida in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic last week, rushing for 186 yards on just 18 carries with a touchdown.

For the abbreviated season, Stevenson rushed for 665 yards on just 101 carries with seven touchdowns. He also showed his ability to be a nice receiver out of the backfield with 18 catches for 211 yards, including being the leading receiver during OU’s win vs. Iowa State in the Big 12 championship.

Originally from Las Vegas and a junior college product, Stevenson slowly started to make a name for himself during the 2019 season. Included in that was scoring the game-winning touchdown in overtime vs. Baylor in the Big 12 championship.

The NCAA suspension hindered things a bit, but OU was undefeated with Stevenson in the lineup during this season.

And now the two players of the game from last week are entering the NFL Draft. Stevenson earned the offensive honor, while Norwood was the Defensive Player of the Game.

With Stevenson’s declaration, that leaves just a couple more for OU fans to wonder about in defensive stars Nik Bonitto and Ronnie Perkins.

The deadline to declare is Jan. 18.