In his final performance, Nicks caught eight passes for a UNC bowl-record 217 yards and three touchdowns in the 31-30 loss to West Virginia.
"He was a gamer," coach Butch Davis said on a teleconference with reporters. "The bigger the stakes, the better he played. We were very fortunate to have had him for the three years and certainly wish him the very best of luck. It's something we hope happens for a lot of our kids in the future."
According to Nicks, he is projected to be an early second-round pick by the NFL draft advisory board, and Davis said the general consensus from everyone he spoke to was that Nicks would be chosen on the first day. Nicks said he is on track to graduate, but will take the semester off to train for the NFL's scouting combine in February.
"I clearly think that most everybody feels pretty confident he's probably going to have a great chance to be a first-day draft selection," said Davis, who spent 10 years in the NFL with Dallas and Cleveland, and reached out to GMs and assistants on Nicks' behalf.
Nicks, who moved into the spotlight in place of injured record-setter Brandon Tate, set UNC single-season records in 2008 for receiving yards (1,222) and touchdowns (12). He finished his career having set 14 school records.
Nicks said he spoke with Davis about his decision after the bowl game, and that he valued Davis' NFL experience and contacts.
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