The opt-out craze began when the Big Ten first postponed the football season past the fall, and it ended when the conference announced it would start play in October.
Now, as we all sit here one month away from the conference’s long-awaited kickoff, over a dozen players who’d decided to sit out remain on the sidelines while several high-profile players – including Ohio State’s Shaun Wade and Wyatt Davis – who once opted out have instead chosen to play in the eight-game regular season.
How many of them will face Ohio State? How will each of their decisions impact the Buckeyes? That’s what we’re here to figure out.
Opted Out, Then Opted Back In
Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore
All Ohio State fans across the country quickly went to Google in search of their favorite team’s eight-game schedule when they saw Moore announce his return to Purdue on Thursday.
Of course, everybody soon confirmed their deepest, darkest fears wouldn’t come true: Ohio State is not scheduled to face the Boilermakers in the regular season. Notably, even with Moore on its roster, Purdue isn’t expected to reach the conference championship game. Its odds to win the Big Ten title are 80-to-1, per Bovada, which ties the team with Maryland for the worst odds – other than Rutgers, which is off the board.
The point? Ohio State, in all likelihood, won’t face Moore again. His return won’t affect the Buckeyes, who won’t soon forget the memories of his 12-catch, 170-yard, two-touchdown performance in the 2018 upset.
Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman
At least in the regular season, Ohio State doesn’t have to worry about facing Bateman. Neither he nor Moore appears on the team’s abbreviated eight-game slate.
Unlike Moore, however, Bateman – the Big Ten Receiver of the Year and a 2019 Biletnikoff Award Finalist – could end up facing the Buckeyes in the postseason. The PJ Fleck-led Golden Gophers went 11-2 last season and will enter this fall as a Big Ten West challenger. Wisconsin’s the favorite to come out of that side of the conference, but Minnesota won’t be counted out.
It must be noted, though, that Bateman’s return isn’t a shoo-in. He has to get approval from the NCAA after opting out and signing with an agent. This situation comes without precedent, so it’s unclear how the NCAA will handle it. As long as Bateman can play for Minnesota once more, he’ll give quarterback Tanner Morgan a no. 1 target.
Bateman had 60 receptions for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns last season.
Michigan offensive tackle Jalen Mayfield
Mayfield’s return affects the Wolverines in a somewhat similar manner to how Wade’s return impact the Buckeyes. Like Ohio State, which had to face the possibility of replacing its entire secondary if Wade remained opted out, Michigan would have needed to replace all five starting offensive linemen if Mayfield didn’t choose to return.
Offensive line coach Ed Warriner doesn’t have to concern himself with any worst-case scenarios now. Mayfield returns, giving Michigan a first-round talent to build the offensive line around.
Ohio State will get a first-hand look at Mayfield for this year’s rendition of The Game on Dec. 12. Zach Harrison, Jonathon Cooper, Tyreke Smith, Tyler Friday and Javontae Jean-Baptiste will get their shot at going against him in a few months.
Michigan State defensive end Jacub Panasiuk and linebacker Marcel Lewis
First-year head coach Mel Tucker got a jolt when Panasiuk decided to stick around East Lansing after initially opting out. The senior defensive end is Michigan State’s only returning starter on its line. He had 32 tackles, five sacks and three forces fumbles last year. Lewis redshirted as a true freshman in 2019 and is in the mix for his first major role as a contributor this fall.
Panasiuk’s choice won’t singlehandedly swing any games. But it certainly matters to Tucker to get a multi-year senior starter back to bolster a line that’ll include several new contributors. Panasiuk will aid the Spartans in their home matchup with Ohio State on Dec. 5, when they’ll need to slow down the Buckeyes’ rushing attack in a game that could feature cold temperatures and snow.
Maryland center Johnny Jordan
Despite Maryland’s general lack of success since entering the Big Ten, it has put forth a solid run game in recent years. Jordan helped plow the way with 12 starts over the past two years, and he’ll do so again this fall.
But how does this affect Ohio State? It doesn’t. The Buckeyes will have their way with the Terrapins on Nov. 14 whether Jordan’s on the team or not.
Penn State tight end Pat Freiermuth
Does this count as an opt out and subsequent opt in? Not really. But we’re including him here because, for a while, it appeared his college career had concluded.
Freiermuth instead confirmed 10 days ago that he’ll play this fall for the Nittany Lions. By sticking around, he offers head coach James Franklin a first-round talent at tight end for Sean Clifford to target in a passing game that’ll get its first big test on Oct. 31 when the Buckeyes come to State College, Pennsylvania.
Last year, Freiermuth – a 2019 second-team All-Big Ten selection – was largely held in check by linebacker Pete Werner, recording six catches for 40 yards versus Ohio State. He’ll look to connect with Clifford for more receptions further down the field when they meet in a little over a month.
Pat Freiermuth catches a touchdown against Ohio State in 2018. Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports.
Opted Out
Illinois running back Ra’Von Bonner and linebacker Dawson DeGroot
Most anticipated Bonner would step in as the starting running back following the graduations of Reggie Corbin and Dre Brown. Instead, the rising senior opted out. The native of Cincinnati has 10 touchdown runs while averaging four yards per carry across three seasons with the Illini.
Lovie Smith turns to Mike Epstein, Chase Brown, Jakari Norwood and Kenyon Sims at running back. None of them had more than 15 carries last year. By the time Illinois faces Ohio State ar home on Nov. 28 in what most expect will be a blowout, it needs to have figured out an answer in the backfield.
DeGroot, who also opted out, had 12 tackles last season, playing the majority of his snaps on special teams.
Michigan wide receiver Nico Collins, cornerback Ambry Thomas, running back Christian Turner and long snapper Camaron Cheeseman
As of now, the Wolverines have lost a quartet of players for the 2020. At least a couple of them could end up playing this fall, though.
Collins, who had 37 catches for 729 yards and seven touchdowns, hasn’t publicly opted out but left Michigan’s practices and signed with agent Drew Rosenhaus. As long as he remained away from the Wolverines, Jim Harbaugh will be without an All-Big Ten-caliber wideout. He might be considering sticking around Ann Arbor for another season, though. Josh Gattis this week said he’s had “a ton” of conversations with Collins about his future and expects an announcement soon.
Thomas is in a similar situation. On Big Ten Radio a week ago, he said he had talked to coaches about a possible return after opting out and signing with an agent a month ago. Thomas, a senior, was picked by the conference’s coaches as a third-team All-Big Ten cornerback last year.
Turner, a reserve tailback, was the first Wolverine to opt out. He wasn’t expected to factor much into Michigan’s running back situation. Cheeseman, however, had manned the long-snapper position since 2017.
Michigan State offensive tackle Jordan Reid and offensive lineman Justin Stevens
In order for Michigan State to put a scare into Ohio State on Dec. 5, it must win individual battles at the line of scrimmage. No longer having Reid on the team makes doing that more difficult.
Reid, a two-year starter, manned right tackle 2019 and was given an in-house award as the Spartans’ best offensive lineman for his success. He intends to be back in East Lansing for a redshirt senior season in 2021, but he’ll be missed this fall – including during Michigan State’s game versus the Buckeyes in a few months.
Stevens – who also opted out – is a true freshman who was never expected to play much this fall.
Maryland quarterback Josh Jackson, offensive lineman Austin Fontaine, defensive lineman Oluwaseun Oluwatimi, defensive lineman Jalen Alexander, defensive back Vincent Flythe and linebacker TJ Kautai
It’s difficult enough to imagine Maryland toppling Ohio State in a normal year. These departures don’t help matters.
Oluwatimi is a senior who started the entire 2019 season at defensive tackle. Jackson was the starting quarterback last year, though Alabama transfer Taulia Tagovailoa will likely replace him. Fontaine started six games at guard last year and was in line to remain a starter. Flythe and Alexander were reserves last season. Kautai is in his first year at Maryland as a junior-college addition. The depleted Terrapins face the Buckeyes on Nov. 14.
Northwestern offensive tackle Rashawn Slater
Northwestern won’t get its soon-to-be NFL offensive lineman back for 2020. He confirmed this week he will stick with his decision not to play again for Northwestern. The loss of Slater means the Wildcats won’t have a three-year starter who earned preseason All-American honors from Phil Steele and Athlon Sports to bookend their offensive line.
More than likely, Slater moving on the NFL won’t affect Ohio State, which won’t play Northwestern in the regular season. The Wildcats aren’t expected to win the Big Ten West, either.
Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons
Franklin hasn’t completely ruled out an opt-in from Parsons. Last week, the head coach said, “you always keep the door open.” However, he also noted, “I think there’s obviously a big difference between somebody that opted out a week ago to somebody that opted out multiple weeks ago.”
Parsons made his decision to opt out of the 2020 college football season in order to focus on the NFL on Aug. 6. Given the Nittany Lions are set to start their season in a little less than a month, there wouldn’t be much time remaining for Parsons to change his mind – if, of course, he was even able to do so considering he signed with an agent.
More than likely, he’s gone, meaning Penn State won’t have its first-team All-American linebacker whose NFL draft stock has him viewed as a top-10 pick. Naturally, it’s a significant hit to the Nittany Lions’ talented defense that’ll face Ohio State’s Justin Fields-led offense on Aug. 31. Considering the showdown could determine the Big Ten East Division champion, Parsons’ absence affects the Buckeyes more than anybody else who has opted out or opted in.
Rutgers wide receiver Everett Wormley
Last week, new head coach Greg Schiano said multiple undisclosed players have talked about potentially opting out. As of now, though, only one – Wormley – has actually decided to go that route.
Wormley, a senior, has just five career catches. Rutgers not having him on the field shouldn’t do much to affect the result of its game versus Ohio State on Nov. 7.
