IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) All-America defensive tackle Daviyon Nixon of Iowa announced he'll declare for the NFL draft and forego his senior season.

Nixon made the announcement on social media Wednesday, and the athletic department confirmed his decision.

''I am very happy for Daviyon and his family. I know he put a lot of time into making the choice to take this step,'' Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. ''Since he arrived on campus, Daviyon put in a tremendous amount of work to be a difference maker for us on defense and in the locker room.''

Nixon was a first-team Associated Press All-American and the AP Big Ten defensive player of the year.

Nixon led the Big Ten in tackles for loss (33), tied for the conference lead in sacks (5 1/2) and had the most tackles by a Big Ten defensive lineman (41).

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