Although Ringer was the only MSU player to be drafted, Hoyer signed a three-year contract with the New England Patriots, according to his marketing representative.

Ringer finished his career second in school history with 4,398 rushing yards. He ran for 1,637 yards and 22 touchdowns last season.

With the Titans, Ringer will compete for carries with Chris Johnson, who finished runner-up in last year’s rookie of the year voting, and former Southern Cal back LenDale White.

Hoyer completed his deal with New England about an hour after the draft, his representative Wendell Robinson said.

Hoyer received offers from eight different teams, Robinson said.

“Brian is very excited,” Robinson said. “The Patriots were one of the teams that worked him out, and he was really excited about the chance to play there. Obviously he won’t start because (Tom) Brady is there, but he’s going to be given an opportunity to compete and he’s very excited about that.”

Some experts considered Hoyer the fourth-best quarterback available, as well as the top-rated senior. But as the draft progressed, Hoyer watched several quarterbacks fall off the board before him.

Midway through the Sunday portion of the draft, Hoyer told ESPN — which sent a camera crew to his house in North Olmsted, Ohio — that he heard he might have gone as high as the third round.

Although he wasn’t drafted, Hoyer enters what Robinson called an “ideal” situation in New England. With the Patriots, he will be able to learn from arguably the best quarterback (Brady) and best head coach (Bill Belichek) in the NFL.

“He’s very comfortable with the coaching staff,” Robinson said.

Hoyer struggled at times in his senior season with the Spartans, completing just 51 percent of his passes and throwing nine touchdowns. But he impressed scouts during pre-draft workouts with his quick release and accurate delivery. Some attributed his poor statistics last season to a young receiving corps that dropped several passes.

Hoyer is the second MSU quarterback in three years to make the leap to the NFL. His predecessor, Drew Stanton, was a second-round selection of the Detroit Lions in 2007.

Other Spartans who await possibly being picked up by NFL teams in free agency include safety Otis Wiley and defensive end Brandon Long.