The Sidelines : Carpenter Will Enter NFL Draft

Wide receiver Rob Carpenter said today he will pass up his final year of college eligibility at Syracuse and enter the NFL draft.

Carpenter told the Syracuse Post-Standard that he decided he was ready for the NFL after evaluating how he stacked up against the nation’s other receivers who will be drafted in April.

Carpenter said his decision was not linked to Orangemen Coach Dick MacPherson leaving to become coach of the New England Patriots, or receivers coach Ivan Fears’ decision to join MacPherson in the NFL.

Carpenter, a 6-2, 188-pound player from Amityville, N.Y., led Syracuse last season with 52 catches, while averaging 17.2 yards per catch and scoring five touchdowns.