The 2020 college football season is going to be unlike anything we’ve seen before. While it technically got going on Saturday, major conferences won’t see the field for a few weeks.
Of course, that doesn’t include either the Big Ten or Pac 12. Both conferences decided to cancel the fall season with the Big Ten looking at a potential Thanksgiving Weekend start time.
The backdrop here is the COVID-19 pandemic spreading throughout the United States. It has also led to multiple star players opting out of the season. We can now add one more to the list.
Star LSU wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase opts out of 2020 college football season
This shocking decision comes less than a month before the defending champs are set to open their SEC-only schedule against Mississippi State on Sept. 26.
The 6-foot Chase was LSU’s most electric returning player from a season ago. The pass catcher hauled in 84 receptions for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2019. Those represented some of the best numbers for a receiver in modern college football history.
LSU’s depth chart heading into the Mississippi State game is now almost unrecognizable following this news.
Ja’Marr Chase is the top wide receiver in the 2021 NFL Draft
By virtue of his decision to opt out, Chase is also declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft. It makes sense in that he doesn’t want to risk injury or his health amid the pandemic.
Many draft experts believe that Chase will be the first receiver off the board and a potential top-five pick. Deciding to opt out of the 2020 season should almost guarantee that this will be the case. If we were to look at the potential top of the draft, the New York Jets makes a ton of sense.
Either way, this college football season is now going to miss one of the nation’s biggest stars.