Ohio State pass rusher Nick Bosa will prematurely end his college career and focus on his NFL future.
The university announced Tuesday that Bosa intends to withdraw from school to focus on rehab and preparation for his professional career.
The junior defensive end suffered a core muscle injury earlier this season in a victory over TCU. He underwent surgery on Sept. 20.
"I was hopeful that Nick would be able to return to play again for us," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said in a statement. "I know this was an extremely difficult and emotional decision for Nick and his family, and I wish him well as he moves on to get himself 100 percent healthy and ready for his next chapter. I want to thank Nick for the remarkable efforts he gave for this program. He is a first-class young man who we have been honored to coach."
The news is a blow for the No. 2 ranked Ohio State squad, but not altogether unexpected following Bosa's injury.
The younger brother of Los Angeles Chargers' Joey Bosa, Nick will enter the draft as one the top-tier pass rushers in 2019 class. At 6-foot-4, 263 pounds, the younger Bosa owns the speed, power and quickness combination, along with stellar hand technique, that should make him a QB menace in the NFL.
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote over the summer that Bosa was one of the top defensive linemen to watch this college season.
"The compact, powerfully built Bosa has been consistently productive from the moment he put on the Ohio State uniform," Zierlein wrote. "Bosa has quality tape as a 4-3 defensive end and as an interior rusher in sub packages. He's extremely challenging to block thanks to his initial quickness, pad level, and formidable upper-body strength that allows him to disengage quickly as he slithers past blockers. He's not as smooth in his pass-rush approach as his older brother Joey Bosa, but he flashes similar potential to impact the run at the point of attack."
Nick Bosa's college career might have ended prematurely, but his future in football is far from over.
