Wake Forest wide receiver Sage Surratt announced Wednesday that he is opting out of the 2020 college football season to focus on preparing for the 2021 NFL draft. Take a look down below to see his official statement, which he released on his Twitter account earlier this morning:
This may come as a surprise to some people, but mostly to Wake Forrest fans. The Big Ten and Pac-12 have both postponed their 2020 fall sports seasons because of the coronavirus pandemic. While the ACC, SEC, and Big 12 are still planning to play college football in the fall. Despite the fact that Surratt plays for an ACC team in Wake Forest, he will not play in 2020, citing “uncertainties and risks” tied to COVID-19.
Most draft experts among many different websites have referred to Surratt as a “first-round talent.” After news of Surratt opting out broke the airwaves and Twittersphere he has been ranked as the No. 14 overall prospect on multiple way-too-early big boards for the 2021 draft. This is definitely some major news, especially to the Demon Deacons staff and fans since the ACC is still proceeding with their season. But sometimes football is bigger than the game itself and some players want to look out for themselves and their health rather than risk playing this 2020 season. You can’t blame them, especially if they are first-round draft potential.