MADISON, Wis. - Outside linebacker T.J. Watt will leave Wisconsin early for the NFL Draft, according to a post on the junior's Twitter account.

"After thinking over the options and discussing them with my family, I have decided that the time has come to continue my journey and declare for the 2017 NFL Draft," Watt said in his statement.

Watt described this 2016 season as an "absolute blast" after he led the Big Ten in sacks and helped the No. 8 Badgers finish with an 11-3 record and a 24-13 win over No. 15 Western Michigan in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.

With Watt's departure the Badgers will now have to replace both starting outside linebackers from this year's defense, with senior Vince Biegel also on his way to the NFL after finishing his career at UW.

Watt is one of two juniors on Wisconsin's roster who had an eye on leaving school early for the NFL. Left tackle Ryan Ramczyk is also weighing his options after he earned a first-round grade from the NFL's draft advisory board, but he'll miss several months after undergoing hip surgery on Thursday of this week.