With the Tar Heels’ 2024 season having officially concluded, there are decision to be made across the roster about what each players next step is going to be. For a select group of guys, they have to decide whether or not to pursue an NFL career and on Friday, two players who have exhausted their eligibility made it known what they will do.
Both safety Jakeen Harris and wide receiver Nate McCollum announced via their social media accounts earlier this afternoon that they will be entering their names into the 2025 NFL Draft. They join Omarion Hampton, Alijah Huzzie, Stick Lane, Jahvaree Ritzie and Kaimon Rucker as guys who will pursue a spot in the NFL this offseason.
McCollum spent the final two years of his career in Chapel Hill after three seasons at Georgia Tech. In his two seasons with the program, he caught 68 of his 100 targets for 743 yards and one touchdown in 699 snaps across 20 games. His career at Carolina was headlined by his performances against Minnesota and Syracuse in 2023 and Pittsburgh in 2024 where he caught at least seven passes for 125 or more yards in each of those games. Outside of those games, though, McCollum never caught more than five passes and only had 50 or more yards receiving just once. In his time at Georgia Tech, he caught 75 of his 107 targets for 778 yards and four touchdowns in 796 snaps across 29 games. He also returned kicks and punts in his career, returning 18 kicks for an average of 25.4 yards and 13 punts for an average 5.9 yards.
As for Harris, he spent this season with Carolina after five years at NC State. In his lone season in Chapel Hill, he finished with 68 total tackles, 1.0 tackle for loss and two pass breakups while allowing 12 of his 18 targets for 135 yards. In his five seasons in Raleigh, he tallied 153 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, four interceptions and six pass breakups, while allowing 40 of his 71 targets for 661 yards and nine touchdowns.
Neither guy currently appears on any draft big board, meaning the team’s pro day will be important for them.
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