PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh running back LeSean McCoy is passing up his final two seasons of eligibility to enter the NFL draft, after breaking several of Tony Dorsett's records while leading the Panthers to a 9-4 record and Sun Bowl appearance this season.

McCoy told coach Dave Wannstedt of his decision in a phone call Wednesday. The two met last Friday, but a teary-eyed McCoy couldn't make up his mind. He delayed the decision again Monday.

"I have frequently played both choices in my mind. I have considered my alternatives and I have prayed," McCoy said in a statement issued by the school. "I have made my final decision and will forego my junior season."

NFL scouts project the 5-foot-11, 210-pound McCoy as a late first-round to early second-round pick.

Losing McCoy is a major setback to Pitt, which played in its first bowl game and had its first winning record in four seasons largely because of his running and a strong defense.

"When you have exceptionally gifted players, you realize the NFL can be a reality sooner rather than later," said Wannstedt, the former Bears and Dolphins coach. "Certainly that is the case with LeSean and we worked to make sure he had all the information needed to make the best decision about his pro prospects."

McCoy rushed for 1,488 yards and 21 touchdowns this season, and 2,816 yards and 35 TDs in two seasons, or more yardage and touchdowns than former Heisman Trophy winner Dorsett had in his first two Pitt seasons.

This season, McCoy's top games included 183 yards against West Virginia, 169 against Notre Dame, 156 against Navy and 149 against Syracuse.

McCoy had 331 yards in two games against the Mountaineers, including 148 in Pitt's 13-9 upset win in 2007 that kept West Virginia out of the BCS title game.

"One of my goals in coming here was to help my teammates and coaches bring Pitt back to its rightful place among the prominent teams in college football," McCoy said.

In late November, McCoy said he would return to Pitt because he felt he needed more time to mature and had more to accomplish in college.

McCoy changed his mind following a 3-0 bowl game loss to Oregon State on Dec. 31, apparently after talking to former Pitt receiver Larry Fitzgerald of the Arizona Cardinals, among others. Fitzgerald, a former Heisman Trophy runner-up, also left Pitt after two seasons.

Pitt's staff believes McCoy began leaning toward leaving when he got away from his teammates and coaches and returned to his home in Harrisburg, Pa. The team's poor performance — the lowest-scoring bowl in 50 years — apparently did not influence his decision. He ran for 85 yards in the loss.

"I think during the past two weeks he finally had an opportunity to reflect on his opportunities," Wannstedt said. "I know firsthand how enticing the NFL can be for young men, both financially and from the standpoint of realizing a lifelong dream of playing pro football."

McCoy joins a growing list of prominent running backs who will leave school early that includes Chris "Beanie" Wells of Ohio State, Donald Brown of Connecticut, P.J. Hill of Wisconsin, Shonn Greene of Iowa and Knowshon Moreno of Georgia.

McCoy is eligible for the draft because has been out of high school for three years. He played the 2006 season at a prep school after seriously injuring his right ankle during his senior season at Bishop McDevitt High School in 2005.

The major injury — a bone broke through the skin of McCoy's leg while he was on the field — required extensive rehabilitation and apparently helped sway McCoy's decision. After he was hurt, a number of major colleges backed off recruiting him.

"As a result of a season-ending injury my senior year, I learned a humbling lesson," McCoy said. "Nothing is promised to us and it can all be taken away in a moment."