The return of Big Ten football has spurred one of the league's top draft prospects, Ohio State CB Shaun Wade, to opt back in to the 2020 college season after announcing he would opt out and prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft.
Wade revealed his opt-in decision Thursday on ESPN.
"I'm going to come back and be a Buckeye and really gonna strive for this national championship like I was back in January (when I decided not to enter the 2020 draft)," Wade said.
Wade is considered one of top defensive backs in college football. A redshirt junior this fall, he broke up eight passes from the nickelback position in 2019 and is expected to play more on the outside in 2020. NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah, after scouting three of Wade's game tapes from last season, wrote that Wade likely would have been a first-round draft selection this year, had he entered the draft. He is the next in an impressive line of Ohio State cornerback prospects; in three of the last four drafts, the first cornerback selected has come from the Buckeyes.
Wade and any other college opt-out who has a change of heart and wants to play another college season must not have forfeited NCAA eligibility through dealings with an agent. Communication with agents is permitted, but an agreement for representation, written or oral, or accepting benefits from an agent make a player ineligible, per NCAA bylaws. For those players, reinstatement by the NCAA would be required.
Earlier this week, another top draft prospect from OSU, offensive lineman Wyatt Davis, announced his intention to opt back in after the Big Ten announced on Wednesday that it will begin its season on the weekend of Oct. 23-24.
