Tanner McKee’s collegiate playing career is over.
The Stanford quarterback, once a highly touted prospect out of Corona, California, announced on social media Thursday night that he will forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2023 NFL Draft.
Rated the fourth-best quarterback prospect in the draft by Pro Football Focus, McKee threw for over 5,000 yards (5,336) in his three-year career with the Cardinal, adding 28 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, while holding a quarterback rating of 131.5.
McKee was recruited by many of the most significant college football programs in the country coming out of Centennial High School in 2018, including but not limited to Alabama, USC, Notre Dame, Texas, Florida and Florida State.
BYU was among the schools that were in pursuit of McKee — he is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a returned missionary — but Stanford was ultimately his choice and the school left an indelible impression upon him, as McKee noted Thursday on Twitter.
“I could never imagine the impact my decision would have on my growth and development,” McKee wrote. “Stanford has changed me in numerous ways and molded me into the person and leader I am today.”
Listed at 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, McKee is a projected first round pick by Pro Football Focus and closed out his career against the Cougars with an impressive showing, completing 31 of 40 passes for 313 yards and a touchdown in Stanford’s 35-26 defeat.
In his Thursday statement, McKee also expressed gratitude for his family and his Heavenly Father.
“Mostly importantly, I would like to recognize my Heavenly Father and acknowledge his hand in my life,” he said.
The quarterback famously delayed his college football career by two years to serve a religious mission in Brazil.
The Deseret News visited him during his time away from home and spoke with him about the sacrifices he made to serve his church and why he felt it was all worth it.
“So many people think I am crazy for going. I want to show them you don’t have to choose between faith and football. You can do both. I believe I will be a better football player when I return,” McKee said during that visit in 2019.
Since returning to the United States and enrolling at Stanford, McKee has confirmed that he remains grateful for his time in Brazil.
“It’s obviously not easy going to a foreign country and not really knowing the language or any of the people. I feel like it just helped me mature as a person and as a leader,” he told the Los Angeles Daily News last year.