FBS-leading receiver Nabers to leave 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 backyards, revealed on social networks Saturday that he is getting in the NFL draft.The 6-foot

, 200-pound Nabers had 14 goal catches this season, tying him for third nationally, as Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels’ leading target. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Nabers as the No. 6 overall possibility and the No. 3 receiver in the 2024 NFL draft.Nabers has excellent speed, evidenced by his 17 catches of 30 backyards or longer, which led all FBS players. He was among only three FBS receivers this season to capture 80 or more passes and balance more than 17 yards per catch. The other two were Washington’s Rome Odunze and Oregon’s Troy Franklin.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated One of the more efficient receivers in college football over the previous 2 seasons, Nabers was among the three finalists for this season’s Biletnikoff Award, which went to Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., as the leading receiver in the nation.Nabers leaves LSU as the school’s all-time leader in getting yards( 3,003). He’s only the 2nd LSU player with numerous 1,000-yard receiving seasons. He totaled 1,017 lawns as a sophomore in 2022, when he also led the SEC with 72 receptions.