Receiver Kelvin Harmon has played his last game for NC State football, he announced on his personal Twitter account Monday.
The junior wideout will forego his final year of college eligibility, enter the 2019 draft and skip the Gator Bowl.
“I have prayed and discussed the path forward with my family and we have decided it is time for me to proceed to the next chapter in my football life,” Harmon said in an official message from NC State athletics. “That chapter will be playing professional football in the National Football League. To this end, I am relinquishing my college eligibility, effective immediately, and declaring myself a professional. I am applying for entry into the 2019 NFL draft. I will not be playing in the upcoming Gator Bowl, but my support for my teammates will go unchanged.”
Harmon finishes his junior season with 81 catches for 1,186 yards and seven touchdowns. He also had over 1,000 yards as a sophomore, making him the first NC State receiver since Jerricho Cotchery in 2002 and 2003 with back-to-back, 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
Harmon’s 177 career catches rank him fourth in NC State history behind Jaylen Samuels, Cotchery and Torry Holt. His 2,665 yards rank him third behind Holt and Cotchery.
“We are proud of Kelvin and all that he’s accomplished in his career,” head coach Dave Doeren said. “We wish him the best as he prepares for the next level.”
This is the second season in a row an NC State NFL hopeful has skipped the bowl game, as defensive end Bradley Chubb sat out the Sun Bowl last season.
Harmon’s elite combination of size, hands and route running that allow him to both gain separation as a downfield threat and go up over defensive backs for contested catches makes him one of the top NFL receiver prospects for this draft, and a likely first-round pick.
“The past three years has been the greatest experience of my life,” Harmon said. “When I was recruited by coach Doeren and [wide receivers coach George McDonald], I was a shy New Jersey kid. Through their nurturing, teaching and support, and that of the entire NC State Coaching and support staff, I feel I have grown into a man. My family and I are grateful for this support. The University has become home and will always be for me.”
NC State will face Texas A&M in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida on Dec. 31.
