1/1/2019 football Edit

Jakobi Meyers enters NFL Draft

Jacey Zembal • TheWolfpackCentral

Writer

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NC State redshirt junior wide receiver Jakobi Meyers announced Tuesday that he will be entering the NFL Draft. (Ken Martin/TheWolfpacker.com)

Redshirt junior wide receiver Jakobi Meyers announced Tuesday that he was entering the NFL Draft a year early.

Meyers had three catches for 19 yards in the Wolfpack's 52-13 loss to Texas A&M in Monday's Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla.

"I came to NC State a kid chasing two dreams," said Meyers, who earned his degree in sports management with a minor in business administration last month. "I'm leaving a man with one dream fulfilled and hopefully another on the way. I would like to thank [NCSU head] Coach [Dave] Doeren, [co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers] Coach [George] McDonald, my teammates and all the staff here at NC State for helping me get to this position."

Meyers finished the year with 92 catches for 1,047 yards and four touchdowns, setting an NC State single-season record for receptions. He is currently seventh in the country in receptions and 28th in yards, despite missing a game with an injury. He torched James Madison for 14 catches for 161 yards in the season opener, and added 13 catches for 163 yards and a touchdown in the regular-season finale against East Carolina.

"It has been a joy to coach Jakobi and watch him mature as a player and a person," Doeren said. "We wish him the best and know that he will always be a part of the Wolfpack family."

The 6-foot-2, 203-pound Meyers arrived at NC State as a Rivals.com two-star quarterback prospect, who originally had verbally committed to Kent State. The Lithonia, Ga., native was added after NC State had lost quarterback commit Austin King to Indiana.

Meyers was switched to wide receiver his redshirt freshman year and had 13 receptions for 158 yards that season. He blossomed in 2017, catching 63 passes for 727 yards and five touchdowns.

Meyers joined junior receiver Kelvin Harmon in entering the NFL Draft with a year of eligibility remaining. Harmon elected to not play in the Gator Bowl, although the duo did become the first in league history from the same school to be named first-team All-ACC in the same season at wide receiver.

NC State redshirt freshman Thayer Thomas will be in contention to replace Meyers next year. Thomas had 34 catches for 383 yards and three touchdowns this season. The Wolfpack will return four starters from their offense next season.