Virginia WR Dontayvion Wicks Declares for the NFL Draft

The UVA football record-holder in single-season receiving yards has declared for the 2023 NFL Draft

Virginia wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks has officially declared for the NFL Draft, per an Instagram post on Monday night. 

"Coach Hagans, thank you for believing and taking a chance on me, also for your love and guidance," Wicks said in the post. "To my brothers, I enjoyed every bit of time we had together and I'll never forget them. I am eternally grateful for the opportunity to attend the University of Virginia."

In his first season as a starter in 2021, Wicks emerged as a star with 57 receptions for nine touchdowns and 1,203 receiving yards, passing Herman Moore for the UVA program single-season receiving record. Wicks earned First-Team All-ACC honors and was a midseason addition to the Biletnikoff Watch List. 

The 2022 season saw a significant drop-off in production for Wicks, who uncharacteristically struggled with drops and was routinely not on the same page with Brennan Armstrong, as both quarterback and receiver struggled to adjust to a new offensive system. Wicks finished with just 430 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 30 receptions and missed the last two games with an injury before the UVA season was shut down. 

Despite the regression, there should still be some significant interest from NFL organizations in Dontayvion Wicks for his elite route-running abilities and the pass-catching skills he displayed in some moments this season as well as throughout the 2021 season. 

In 2021, Virginia had five receivers with at least 550 receiving yards. One year later, all five of those players are no longer on the team, as Ra'Shaun Henry and Jelani Woods left for the NFL after 2021, Billy Kemp IV and Keytaon Thompson have exhausted their eligibility, and Dontayvion Wicks has now declared for the 2023 NFL Draft. 

Wicks is the second Cavalier to declare for the NFL Draft since the end of the season, joining First-Team All-ACC cornerback Anthony Johnson, who declared for the Draft on Friday. Both Johnson and Wicks have accepted invitations to participate in the Reese's Senior Bowl on February 4th in Mobile, Alabama. 

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