Jameis Winston will leave Florida State for the 2015 NFL Draft, his father said Wednesday.

Initially, Antonor Winston said his son planned to wait until after the College Football Playoff National Championship Presented by AT&T to announce a decision, but instead, Jameis Winston came to a firm decision Tuesday night that he was ready to enter the NFL draft.

ESPN NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper Jr. has Winston rated as the second-best quarterback behind 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota and the sixth player overall on his latest Big Board. Kiper believes that Winston has special pocket instincts and the necessary vision, size, arm strength and athleticism to make it in the NFL.

In a conference call with reporters Tuesday, ESPN's Todd McShay said he believes that Winston is a better pro prospect than Mariota.

"[Florida State quarterback] Jameis Winston, to me, is the better prospect,'' McShay said. "Marcus Mariota is still a very good prospect but needs developing. They both have a chance to be great. But they both come with red flags. Winston's red flags are off the field.''