Arguably the most talented player to ever put on a Kentucky football uniform – the program’s most dynamic, most versatile and all-time touchdowns leader – has played his last down at the University of Kentucky.Randall Cobb is headed to the NFL.The junior wide receiver, professing his love for the University of Kentucky and internal battle he wrestled to make, announced his decision to forego his final year of eligibility on Thursday at a news conference. “I have had the dream since I was a child growing up since I was 4 years old,” Cobb said as he started to choke up. “I was lying in bed and that was the only thing I wanted, to play football in the NFL. As hard as this is for me, I feel as if I am physically and wrmentally ready for the next level.”Head coach Joker Phillips was happy for Cobb and his decision.”You come to college for two things,” Phillips said. “You come to get an education, and if you’re a college athlete, you come here to put yourself in a position to play professionally. Randall has an opportunity a year early to do that. That speaks volumes to me on his commitment to this program and speaks volumes to how far this program has come.”But this one still hurts.The loss of Cobb is as deflating as it is damaging. Not only will Kentucky lose its go-to player, who has rushed for 1,313 yards, caught for 1,661, passed for 689, returned punts and kicks for 1,700, and scored 37 total touchdowns, it loses the face of the program.”It’s painful,” Phillips said, “but we’ve lost players before. We haven’t lost one of this magnitude this early, but the timing is perfect for us.”In the process of losing program-changers Andre Woodson, Jacob Tamme, Keenan Burton and Wesley Woodyard, among others, to graduation and the NFL after the 2007 season, Kentucky found another prized gem in Cobb that was able to keep the program from taking a step back.Cobb marveled fans with his ability to do a little bit of everything. When needed to play quarterback, Cobb did and succeeded (many to this day still think he should have been the one taking snaps under center this season). When teams kicked to him and gave him a chance to return kicks, Cobb was one of the best in college football. And when he was asked to switch over to wide receiver and reduce his role taking snaps, Cobb obliged for the betterment of the program.But perhaps his most defining trait, the one that will make him millions of dollars at the NFL level and helped him succeed the most at the college level, was his heart and desire.At 5-foot-11, 186 pounds, Cobb was far from a prized high school recruit. While one coach said he would never play Division I football, and schools like Cobb’s home-state school of Tennessee hesitated on him, Kentucky saw something in Cobb and jumped at the chance to sign him. Later, coaches like Urban Meyer regretted whiffing on Cobb.Although Cobb was initially recruited as average, he was far from it, and he demanded even more. Sometimes frustrated by the program’s inability to take the next step in the Southeastern Conference, Cobb’s love for the program almost always outweighed his desire to individually succeed. “I had a vision when I came here of all of those things (beating Tennessee and winning an SEC championship) happening,” Cobb said. “I talked to Coach Phillips and he is going to keep it going. One thing that goes with players is that we pass through. We pass through the program. There are going to be guys that will carry that tradition and keep the program going. I know that Coach Phillips will recruit kids that will have passion and that will want to play in games like that.”Despite all the yards and touchdowns Cobb posted while he was at Kentucky, his leadership and character will be the hardest things for the Kentucky football program to replace.”You can’t fake being a leader,” wide receivers coach Tee Martin said. “You can’t fake going to work hard. He was just like that. You’ve got to find somebody like that, and that’s why we’re out recruiting right now and getting to know kids on the recruiting trail, but you can’t expect a guy to be Randall Cobb because he’s one in a million. I’ve been around a lot of guys and he’s special. You don’t replace those guys every day.”Kentucky owes Cobb a lot. Without his playmaking abilities for the last three seasons, who knows where the program would be.But it’s time for both parties to move on. Cobb has a promising future at the NFL level and he may never have a chance quite like the one he has this year. “This decision has been waiting on me for a while, and as hard as it was, I had to make the best decision for me,” said Cobb, whose NFL evaluations listed him as a third-round prospect. “I felt it was my time to go and pursue my dream to play in the NFL.”Kentucky, moving forward, wasn’t always going to be able to rely on just Cobb. As Phillips said Thursday, UK needs to find 10 more Randall Cobbs, not just one.”We were looking for a Randall Cobb when we found Randall Cobb,” Phillips said. “We’ve got to try to find our next Randall Cobb. We’ve been able to go out and recruit some really talented wide receivers. We’ve got to continue to develop that and develop the ones that come in here. Hopefully the next one of those guys that comes here is the next Randall Cobb.”While a critical blow to the immediate outlook of the team, Phillips said the decision came at a perfect time. Unlike two years ago when the Cats were blindsided by the dismissal of quarterback Curtis Pulley, the coaches have time to sign players to replace Cobb and develop the underclassmen who have been ready to take his spot.Torn between staying and leaving, Cobb said he put his emotions aside and did what he thought was the best for the team. He’s confident that the program will move forward without him.”I know without a doubt in my mind my teammates will carry on the tradition, and we will continue to recruit top athletes and develop the best players,” Cobb said. “I will continue to represent this university to the best of my ability and wear my UK blue and white with pride.”Cobb, who vowed to return to the place he now calls home and loves to get his degree, will be missed at Kentucky. He’ll go down as one of the most revered and admired players in Kentucky football history.But his absence cannot mean a step back for the program. If the coaches, players and fans want to build on the legacy and standard Cobb built at Kentucky, the next step is to move on without Cobb and continue to succeed.Cobb was the bridge between Woodson and Co. Who will be on the other end?