The South Carolina product had an unusual path to the NFL Draft. When next season starts, he will be a 25-year-old rookie. Hurst’s first experience in professional sports was instead in baseball when he was drafted in the 17th round of the 2012 Major League Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates. He played two years of rookie ball as a pitcher before ultimately deciding to switch back to football.
Hurst walked on at South Carolina in 2015 and played in 12 games as a receiver and tight end, starting only once. He saw limited action but made it count, fielding eight receptions for 106 yards.