Canadian receiver Jared Wayne has been signed by the Houston Texans after going unselected in the 2023 NFL Draft, according to a report by TSN’s Farhan Lalji.
The native of Peterborough, Ont. joins fellow Canadian John Metchie III in the Texans’ receiving corps, after the Alabama product was selected by the team in the second round last year.
Wayne finished high school at Clearwater Academy International in Florida after previously attending Trinity College School in Port Hope, Ont. He committed to the University of Pittsburgh, dressing for 41 games over four seasons and recording 146 receptions for 2,308 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The six-foot-three, 210-pound target caught 60 passes for 1,063 yards and five touchdowns over 12 games last season as the Panthers’ number-one receiver. At the Pitt Pro Day, he leapt 41.5 inches in the vertical — higher than any receiver at the NFL Combine — while recording a 4.73-second forty-yard dash, 4.10-second short shuttle, 6.85-second three-cone, and a 10-foot, seven-inch broad jump.
His dad Patrick Wayne played his collegiate football at Simon Fraser University and was selected in the second round, 12th overall during the 1987 CFL Draft by the Ottawa Rough Riders. The six-foot-three, 225-pound linebacker suited up in 123 games over nine seasons registering 118 tackles, 26 special teams tackles, 21 sacks and grabbed two interceptions.
Wayne is the sixth-ranked prospect in the 2023 CFL Draft and was considered to be in contention for the first overall pick, but will likely fall due to his NFL opportunity.
