ESPN NFL

Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree is expected to announce at a 3 p.m. ET news conference on Tuesday that he will enter the NFL draft, two people close to Crabtree said Friday.

Crabtree had an ankle specialist determine that his high ankle sprain was properly diagnosed and treated. Crabtree is expected to attend the NFL scouting combine but is not expected to run a 40-yard dash.

More likely, Crabtree will run at his own pro day. Crabtree has visited with Texas Tech coach Mike Leach twice already and will visit with him once more before the planned news conference.

Leach has mentioned the possibility of the receiver returning to win a Heisman, but Crabtree, 6-foot-3, 214 pounds, has been told by multiple sources, including the NFL draft advisory committee, that he would be a first-round pick.

Crabtree had 93 catches and 18 touchdowns in the regular season, averaging 94.6 yards per game. He won the prestigious Biletnikoff Award for the nation's top receiver.

Crabtree, a draft-eligible sophomore, also won the award last season.

Joe Schad covers college football for ESPN.