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California Golden Bears wide receiver Chris Harper is taking his talents to the next level. He's on his way to the NFL Draft.
#Cal WR Chris Harper's statement on declaring for the NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/epf9YrSVBJ
— Mike Vernon (@M_Vernon) January 7, 2015
Thank you to all my teammates and the Bear community for making the last 3 years unforgettable it's truly been a gift I love yall. #GOBEARS
— Christopher Harper (@ItsChrisHarper) January 7, 2015
Alumni: Congrats to Chris Harper '12 who decided to forego his final year at Cal and declare for the NFL draft. Good Luck Chris! #CeltPride
— CrespiAthletics (@CrespiAthletics) January 6, 2015
Good luck to my guy @ItsChrisHarper at the next level!
— Trigga (@BryceTreggs) January 7, 2015
If there was anything Harper was as a Golden Bear, it was consistent. He always wanted to come to Cal, and after Harper got offered, he was quick to flip from SMU and come to Cal. Harper was second at Cal in receptions as a true freshman with 41 catches and 544 yards, then ramped it up to 69 catches (2nd on the team) and 840 yards (1st on the team) in the first year of the Bear Raid. His numbers dipped a bit due to the depth of the Cal wide receiving class, but he still finished with 52 catches (tied for 2nd), 634 yards (3rd) and six touchdowns (tied for 2nd).
If anyone was going to leave early this season, it was going to be Harper. Cal had four solid outside wide receivers in Harper, Kenny Lawler, Trevor Davis, and Maurice Harris going into next season, and all of them rotated constantly on the field. That rotation increased the team's effectiveness, but it might have made it harder for any one wide receiver to raise their draft stock on their own by becoming a feature option. I don't think this had much to do with Rob Likens leaving, but it might have pushed Harper to think about his next options.
Good luck Chris! GO BEARS!