ATLANTA -- Saying he's accomplished all he wanted in his college career, Georgia tight end Orson Charles is headed to the NFL.
Charles said Wednesday he'll give up his final season of eligibility with the Bulldogs, a decision he said wasn't all that difficult after he prayed on it and met with a host of advisors, including former NFL coach Tony Dungy.
"You know how you have a gut feeling when you pick a college?" Charles said during a conference call with the media. "I really couldn't go wrong either way."
But the Bulldogs announced some good news later in the day: safety Bacarri Rambo will be returning for his senior season.
The 6-foot-3, 241-pound Charles, who had 94 receptions for 1,370 yards and 10 touchdowns with the Bulldogs, has yet to hire an agent but said there's no chance of returning for his senior year. He finished with the most yards in school history for a tight end and tied Leonard Pope's mark for most touchdowns at that position.
"I felt like I was ready," Charles said. "There's definitely a lot of things I can work on, as far as blocking, catching and running routes. But I feel like I can accomplish all that."
Charles made 45 catches this past season, tied for second on a Georgia team that went 10-4 and reached the Southeastern Conference championship game.
Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press