Bub Means Bio
Jerrod “Bub” Means (born January 10, 2001) is an American professional football wide receiver for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) and weighing around 215 lb (98 kg), he plays the wide receiver position wearing jersey No. 16 for the Saints. He previously played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, and Pittsburgh Panthers before being selected in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Means was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, and grew up with an interest in the wide receiver role. After a winding college journey through three programs, he arrived in the NFL as a fifth-round pick and quickly recorded his first career touchdown. His professional career remains in its early chapters, marked by flashes of receiving production and setback-inducing injuries.
Early Life and Background
Jerrod “Bub” Means was born on January 10, 2001, in Las Vegas, Nevada. He later moved to Georgia, where he attended Lovejoy High School in Lovejoy, Georgia. At Lovejoy, he developed into a multi-sport athlete, eventually focusing on football as his primary sport.
Across two varsity seasons with the Lovejoy Wildcats, Means put up significant production as a pass-catcher, finishing with nearly 900 receiving yards and 11 touchdown receptions. He was rated as a three-star recruit by major scouting services, a ranking that nonetheless attracted attention from several college programs. Means drew scholarship offers from Northwestern and Rutgers, among other programs, before announcing his commitment to the University of Tennessee.
Path to American Football
Means enrolled at Tennessee in 2019, joining the Volunteers as a young receiver prospect. Following a redshirt year in Knoxville, he elected to transfer to Louisiana Tech to seek a clearer path to playing time. NCAA transfer rules forced him to sit out the 2020 season, delaying his on-field debut in Ruston.
Means first saw game action for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in 2021, recording 22 receptions for 430 yards and two touchdowns. After that season, he entered the transfer portal again and announced that he would join the Pittsburgh Panthers. The move positioned him within the Atlantic Coast Conference, a stronger stage on which to display his skills before declaring for the 2024 NFL Draft.
Bub Means Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
Means opened his college career at Louisiana Tech in 2021, providing a dependable intermediate target for the Bulldogs. His 22 receptions, 430 receiving yards, and two touchdowns demonstrated a reliable possession-receiver profile, even if the raw volume remained modest.
After transferring to Pittsburgh, Means continued to grow into a more prominent role. In his first season with the Panthers, he recorded 27 receptions for 401 yards and two touchdowns, including four catches for 84 yards and a touchdown in a 37–35 victory over UCLA in the Sun Bowl. That performance hinted at a rising senior-year ceiling.
Pittsburgh Panthers Breakthrough (2022–2023)
Means’s second and final season at Pittsburgh served as his college breakthrough. He hauled in 41 receptions for 721 yards and six touchdowns, emerging as a vertical threat for the Panthers offense. The jump in production showcased improved route running and stronger hands against ACC-level competition.
Following the 2023 season, Means declared for the 2024 NFL Draft, foregoing any remaining college eligibility. His size-speed combination and red-zone production drew interest from NFL teams seeking developmental wide receiver help. Pre-draft evaluations pegged him as a mid-round prospect with special teams value.
New Orleans Saints Era (2024–Present)
The New Orleans Saints selected Means with the 170th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. He joined a young receiving corps and spent his rookie year adjusting to the speed and complexity of the professional game. In a Week 6 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Means scored his first career NFL touchdown on a 10-yard reception from quarterback Spencer Rattler.
On November 2, 2024, Means was placed on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain, cutting short his rookie momentum. The Saints placed him on injured reserve again on August 13, 2025, ending his 2025 season before it began. Through the 2024 campaign, he recorded 9 receptions for 118 receiving yards and 1 receiving touchdown.
Driving Style and Strengths
Means profiles as a big-bodied outside receiver who can win at the catch point and operate effectively in contested-catch situations. His 6 ft 2 in frame and 98 kg build allow him to hold up against press coverage, while his college production at Pittsburgh suggested steady downfield tracking ability. The Saints have deployed him primarily as a boundary target, with occasional alignments in the slot to leverage his size against smaller defenders.
Notable Events and Milestones
Means’s signature moment to date remains his first career NFL touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 6 of the 2024 season. Being drafted in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints stands as his most significant professional milestone. His 41-reception, six-touchdown senior season at Pittsburgh ranks as his most productive college campaign.
Bub Means Career Wins
As a wide receiver, Means’s statistical milestones take the place of traditional wins. His most notable achievement is his first career NFL touchdown, scored in 2024 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Means also contributed to Pittsburgh’s 37–35 Sun Bowl victory over UCLA, capping his first Panthers season with a winning result.
Pittsburgh Panthers Highlights
Means produced 41 receptions for 721 yards and six touchdowns during his final season with the Pittsburgh Panthers. He opened his Pittsburgh tenure with 27 receptions for 401 yards and two scores, highlighted by his four-catch, 84-yard performance in the Sun Bowl. The Panthers relied on Means as a downfield and red-zone option across both of his seasons in the program.
Other Wins & Performances
At Louisiana Tech, Means posted 22 receptions for 430 yards and two touchdowns in 2021, helping the Bulldogs’ passing attack. He nearly reached 900 receiving yards and totaled 11 touchdown receptions across two varsity seasons at Lovejoy High School. Each step of Means’s career has featured incremental statistical growth, even as team success has varied.
Bub Means Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public biographical sources do not detail Means’s parents or any extended family connections to professional sports. His early development in Las Vegas, Nevada, and later relocation to Lovejoy, Georgia, shaped his path toward football. Further information about his immediate family has not been widely reported.
Personal Life
Means remains a young professional whose personal life has not been a major focus of public coverage. He has not been publicly linked to a long-term partner, and no children have been reported. His primary residence since joining the NFL has been tied to the New Orleans Saints’ operational base.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 NFL season was halted for Means before it could begin in earnest. On August 13, 2025, the New Orleans Saints placed him on injured reserve, ending his year and forcing him to focus on recovery and rehabilitation. The setback interrupted a critical developmental window for the young receiver.
Coming off a 2024 rookie campaign in which he recorded 9 receptions for 118 yards and 1 touchdown, Means had hoped to expand his role in the Saints’ passing game. His absence created opportunities for other New Orleans wideouts to step forward. The Saints will look to integrate Means back into their offensive plans once he clears medical protocols.
Long term, Means remains under contract with the Saints and still fits within their young core at the wide receiver position. His size, red-zone production at Pittsburgh, and early-career NFL touchdown suggest untapped potential. If he can return healthy, he has a clear opportunity to claim a larger share of the Saints’ target distribution in subsequent seasons.