Star Washington running back Myles Gaskin, No. 2 on the Huskies career rushing list, will return for his senior season, he announced Sunday on Twitter.

With 4,055 rushing yards in 40 career games, Gaskin will enter the 2018 season needing 52 to pass Napoleon Kaufman's program record of 4,106 set from 1991-94. Gaskin has averaged of 5.8 yards per carry, best in program history, and 101.4 yards per game.

The Huskies now return intact the most productive backfield in program history. Rising senior quarterback Jake Browning holds the school record for most touchdown passes, with 78, and Gaskin holds Washington records for rushing TDs (45) and total touchdowns (49).

“I couldn’t leave Jake hanging like that,” Gaskin told The Seattle Times on Sunday evening. "We want to finish strong — finish what we started.”

Monday is the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the 2018 NFL Draft, and the NFL Draft Advisory Board had given Gaskin (5-9, 190 pounds) a fourth-round grade, according to The Times.

Washington (10-3 in 2017, 7-2 in the Pac-12) likely will enter the 2018 season ranked in the top 10 and a favorite again in the Pac-12 ahead of a Sept. 1 kickoff in Atlanta against Auburn.