Wood, who finishes his career as ND?s seventh all-time leading rusher (2,447 yards), has been perceived to have had a foot and a half out the door since late November, when his availability to the media was truncated.
ESPN?s Joe Schad was the first to report the move had been made official. Wood was a senior with a fifth-year option. Family concerns weighed into Wood?s decision. Wood has a 1-year-old daughter, Braelyn, who lives with her mother in Las Vegas.
The deadline for underclassmen to declare for the NFL Draft is Tuesday.
"Having to make a decision like whether to stay in school or leave to pursue a lifelong dream of playing in the NFL is never simple," Wood said in a statement via Notre Dame athletic website. "I had to weigh many factors over the last month, but ultimately it came down to what I felt was the right decision that would most benefit my family.
"There are so many people I need to thank that have helped get me to this point. My teammates are friends I know I'll have the rest of my life. I'll miss hanging out with them in the locker room and around campus. They are a great group of guys and are poised for success next year.
"I also want to thank all of the coaches, specifically (head) coach (Brian) Kelly and (running ?backs) coach (Tony) Alford. Coach Kelly has the program heading in the right direction, and I'm happy to know he'll remain our head coach in the future. Coach Alford has been so much more than a coach to me. He's been a mentor and a role model. He's helped turn me into the man I am today.?
Schad reported Wood received a third-round grade from the NFL Draft Advisory Board, but hopes to move up. The 2013 NFL Draft will be held April 25-27 in New York.
?The predraft process is going to determine a lot ? how he works out and how he interviews,? said draft analyst Scott Wright of draftcountdown.com, who sees Wood going anywhere from the third round to undrafted.
?This is not a great running back class. There?s room to move up. He?s very talented, but that doesn?t mean it will happen for him.?
There are questions NFL personnel will have about the 6-foot, 215-pound Oxnard, Calif., product?s two-game suspension to start the season. And, after rushing for more than 1,000 yards in 2011, Wood lost carries ion 2012 to senior Theo Riddick, the latter now viewed as the stronger of the two pro prospects.
Wright said Wood would have benefitted from returning to ND for the 2013 season. He rushed for 742 yards on 114 carries with four touchdowns this past season. He finished his career with a 5.4 yards-per-carry average.
"Cierre has been an important member of our football team in my three years at Notre Dame and I appreciate all he did to help get our program back on top," Kelly said in a statement. "I wish him well in the future and hope he has a successful playing career at the next level."
Notre Dame, thus, loses its top two rushers, but has a glut of potential at the position for 2013. Sophomores George Atkinson (361 yards, 51 carries, 5 TDs) and Cam McDaniel (125, 23, 1) are joined by USC transfer Amir Carlisle, redshirted freshman Will Mahone and highly touted recruits Greg Bryant and Tarean Folston.
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