Ott appeal denied, will be going pro

According to HawkeyeReport.com sources, Drew Ott's appeal for a medical hardship waiver has been denied, so the defensive end is officially going pro.

Ott was petitioning for a fifth year of eligibility after missing much of the 2015 season due to elbow and knee injuries. However, because he appeared in at least a portion of six of Iowa's games, he played above the 30% requirement in medical hardship cases.

In his senior year, Ott's first injury was a dislocated elbow in the second quarter of Iowa's second game, which was a win at Iowa State. He quickly returned to the field, but played limited snaps in the next two games. Then, after returning the regular lineup, Ott suffered a torn ACL in the third quarter of Iowa's sixth game, a win over Illinois.

Both of Ott's injuries required surgery that he is still working his way back from this spring. Now, he will continue that process with an NFL team whether it is through the draft or as a free agent afterwards.

Update: Drew Ott posted the following on Instagram:

Finding out that my time has come to an end here at Iowa leaves me with a lot of people to thank. Thank you to my coaches for giving me the opportunity, believing in me, and staying with me through this whole process. Hawkeye fans, you have been amazing and thank you for the constant support. I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without my friends and family. #onceahawkalwaysahawk#TheDecision