FBS-leading receiver Nabers to exit LSU for draft

Chris Low, ESPN Senior WriterJan 6, 2024, 10:04 PM ET
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- College football reporter
- Joined ESPN.com in 2007
- Graduate of the University of Tennessee

LSU receiver Malik Nabers, who led all FBS players in 2023 with 1,569 receiving yards, announced on social media Saturday that he is entering the NFL draft.

The 6-foot, 200-pound Nabers had 14 touchdown catches this season, tying him for third nationally, as Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels‘ top target. ESPN’s Mel Kiper ranks Nabers as the No. 6 overall prospect and the No. 3 receiver in the 2024 NFL draft.

Nabers has great speed, evidenced by his 17 catches of 30 yards or longer, which led all FBS players. He was one of only three FBS receivers this season to catch 80 or more passes and average more than 17 yards per catch. The other two were Washington’s Rome Odunze and Oregon’s Troy Franklin.

One of the more productive receivers in college football over the past two seasons, Nabers was among the three finalists for this season’s Biletnikoff Award, which went to Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., as the top receiver in the nation.

Nabers leaves LSU as the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards (3,003). He’s only the second LSU player with multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons. He totaled 1,017 yards as a sophomore in 2022, when he also led the SEC with 72 receptions.