Iowa wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette announced on Twitter Thursday that his career as a Hawkeye football player has come to an end and that he is declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft.

Smith-Marsette will not play in Iowa’s Dec. 30 matchup against Missouri in the Music City Bowl, assuming the game is played at all as the Hawkeyes deal with a COVID-19 outbreak within their program.

“I would like to thank coach Kirk Ferentz, coach Brian Ferentz, coach [Kelton] Copeland and the rest of the Hawkeye coaching staff,” Smith Marsette said on Twitter, “for providing a kid from the inner city with an opportunity to showcase my talents and abilities at the Division I level and in front of the greatest fans in college football.

“I look forward to continuing to represent the Iowa Hawkeyes at the next level. Go Hawks. — ISM”

Originally from Newark, New Jersey, Smith-Marsette committed to both Rutgers and Minnesota before arriving in Iowa City. Then, the 6-foot-1, 179-pound wide receiver and kick returner became one of the most electric playmakers to wear the Black and Gold.

Smith-Marsette finishes his Iowa career with 110 receptions for 1,615 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also ran for four touchdowns and averaged 28.8 yards per return as Iowa’s kick returner, scoring on special teams in back-to-back games to close the 2019 season.

The second game in that stretch was the Holiday Bowl, a game for which Smith-Marsette earned MVP honors for scoring three touchdowns in Iowa’s victory over USC.

In his final game as a Hawkeye, Smith-Marsette set a career high with 140 receiving yards on seven catches against Wisconsin on Dec. 12. In Iowa’s sixth win in a row, Smith-Marsette scored two receiving touchdowns, including a 53-yarder in the third quarter that ended with him flipping into the end zone. Smith-Marsette landed awkwardly on his left ankle and missed the remainder of the game after being examined in the locker room. The flip and score proved to be his final play as a Hawkeye.

“Do I regret the flip? No. Would I do it again? Yeah,” Smith-Marsette said postgame. “I’m just happy we got the win. Everyone was having fun. My senior year, never going to play in Kinnick again… got to go out with a bang.”

Smith-Marsette played in seven of Iowa’s eight regular season games in 2020, missing one while suspended for an OWI arrest. He still led the team with 345 receiving yards on 25 catches with four touchdowns this season.

Noah Fant is the only previous Iowa player to opt out of a bowl game to prepare for the draft.

Without Smith-Marsette in the lineup, Iowa will rely more on receivers Brandon Smith, Tyrone Tracy, and Nico Ragaini in the passing game against Missouri.