By Elijah Sylvester
Triangle contributing writer
Jaylen Himes is only an 18-year-old freshman, but he’s already turning heads as the leading receiver on the 7-2 Wingate football team.
Nine games into his rookie season, the 5-9, 177-pound wide receiver from Statesville, N.C., has racked up 53 catches for 823 yards and eight touchdowns. That ranks him 10th among all Division 2 receivers in receiving yardage. Not bad for a guy who just bounced back from a tough injury during his senior prep season and saw his recruitment get derailed after strong early interest from Division 1 programs.
“I think I fell in love with football around the time I was 9,” Himes says. “I got hurt my senior year, lost a few offers, and then Wingate came in late. I decided to come here.”
Himes played high school ball in Charlotte at private school powerhouse Providence Day. With several Division 1 recruits on the team, the Chargers were stacked with talent, so the practices were sometimes tougher than the games for Himes. But he says that didn’t make the jump to college football easy for him.
“My first game here, I wasn’t getting the ball, [and] that was weird for me,” he says. “Back in high school, I was used to being the go-to guy. After that game, I realized things are different now. This isn’t high school. I won’t always be the first option. I’ve just got to take advantage of whatever chances I get.”
Once he made that shift in mindset, he began to take off. Now he’s one of the main targets in the Bulldogs’ offense. Defenses notice him. They double cover him, roll coverage his way and try to test him mentally every week.
Graduate student Carlos Estronza, a fellow starting wideout who’s been key receiver for the Bulldogs since 2023, says Himes’ maturity is what stands out most to him.
“You don’t really see freshmen handle the spotlight the way Jaylen does,” Estronza says. “He works like an older guy, studies film and wants to get better every day. You can tell he’s got that ‘next level’ type of drive.”
Himes feels that attention too, but he’s learned how to use it to his advantage. “Being prepared helps me stay strong,” he says. “I know I’m getting a lot of attention, but we’ve got other good receivers too. They can’t double [team] me all game. When my teammates start making plays, defenses have to play it straight, and that’s when I get my one-on-ones.”
If you ask him about his favorite moment this year, he points to the Carson-Newman game at home on Sept. 27. The Eagles’ defense is no joke—its ranks seventh in the country in fewest points allowed—but Himes showed up in a big way during that 21-14 setback, keeping Wingate in the game with big plays.
“That game told me I could actually be good at this,” recalls Himes, who had seven catches for 110 yards with one touchdown against the Eagles.
Himes plays with a lot of confidence, but he doesn’t let it go to his head. You can tell he has bigger dreams and he’s not satisfied yet.
“It’s easy to believe in myself because I know how much work I put in,” he says. “I trust my preparation. That’s what lets me play at a high level every week. But I don’t let it get to me. My goals go way beyond college. I want to play in the NFL. I want to be a great NFL receiver. So I’m not letting up. I’ve got a long way to go, and I’m not losing my hunger for the game.”
That drive comes from some hard times. The past year hasn’t been easy on him. “This last year was the toughest of my life,” he says.
“I broke a bone in my spine, pulled hamstrings, lost my grandma, my cousin and my uncle—and I had to adjust to college on top of it all.”
Football became his escape, the one place where nothing else mattered for a while. Through it all, his family kept him going.
“My stepdad, my mom, and my biological dad inspire me,” he says.
“My stepdad works 12, 14 hours just to keep us going. My mom works multiple jobs and still takes care of all of us. I don’t want them to have to keep grinding like that. My biological dad, after not making the NFL, he went through a lot, but now he runs multiple businesses and lives his faith. He sets a great example for me.”
Even as more people start to notice him, Himes keeps his world pretty small—just him, his team and the next play. Ask about his goals, and he doesn’t flinch. “For the team, I want us to make the [NCAA] playoffs and go as far as we can,” he says. “Personally, I want 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns.”
Then he looks further down the road for future goals. “Playing in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl,” he says calmly and matter-of-fact, like it’s just the next step.
And through everything—the pressure, the spotlight, the ups and downs—he holds onto one thing. “Don’t put the Bible down when things get tough,” Himes says. “God gives you the strength to get through anything. Trust the path He gave you. Everything happens for a reason.”
Every Saturday, Wingate fans see it firsthand. Jaylen Himes isn’t just catching passes, he’s showing what faith, hard work and resilience really look like.
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