Leading receiver Bo Hines to transfer from NC State
Bo Hines, N.C. State’s leading receiver, announced his decision to transfer on his Twitter account on Saturday.
Hines, a freshman from Charlotte Christian, has been granted a release from N.C. State to transfer to an Ivy League school. He is expected to continue his college career at Yale, according to a person familiar with the situation. The decision to leave, after leading the Wolfpack in both catches (45) and receiving yards (616), was motivated by his academic future.
“I must do what I believe is best for my future not only as a student-athlete, but also as a human being,” Hines wrote on his Twitter account on Saturday.
Hines caught three passes for 79 yards and completed a 20-yard pass to quarterback Jacoby Brissett in N.C. State’s 34-27 win over Central Florida in the Bitcoin St. Petersburg Bowl on Friday night.
“I truly enjoyed being Bo’s coach and wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors,” N.C. State coach Dave Doeren said in a statement released by the school.
Hines had a season-best eight catches for 103 yards against Florida State on Sept. 27. He caught a 54-yard touchdown from Brissett on the second play of the game.
Hines and Brissett quickly developed a rapport last spring when Hines enrolled early after graduating from Charlotte Christian. Hines was the first player to commit to Wolfpack coach Dave Doeren in the recruiting class of 2014 and helped recruit other players in the class.
His exit came as a surprise to many N.C. State fans on Saturday. Hines quickly became a fan favorite, going back to the spring game. He thanked Wolfpack fans for all their support in his message on Twitter on Saturday.
“I wish nothing but the best for everyone who is part of the North Carolina State University community and pray for the success of teammates and coaches in future seasons to come,” Hines wrote on his Twitter account.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound slot receiver will leave a void as Brissett’s favorite target. N.C. State used versatile freshman running back Jaylen Samuels in the slot and expanded his role in the passing game in the bowl win over UCF. Samuels caught a season-high three passes for 41 yards, including an 18-yard touchdown from running back Shadrach Thornton on a gadget play.
Garner running back Nyheim Hines, one of the prizes in the 2015 recruiting class, could also be used in the slot next season in a variation of Hines’ role.
This story was originally published December 27, 2014 at 7:35 PM.