Ohio State's fight to play this fall is ongoing. If the Big Ten reverses course and the Buckeyes take the field, they'll be doing so without one of their best players. Offensive guard Wyatt Davis, one of the best offensive linemen in the country announced on Friday that he will pass up on his final two seasons in Columbus, Ohio, and declare for the 2021 NFL Draft. Davis, a 6-foot-4, 315-pound redshirt junior, is widely regarded as a potential first-round pick in the upcoming draft.
"I have learned from the most inspiring professors, administrators, assistants and tutors," he wrote on Twitter. "I have befriended the greatest alumni, fans and student body. I was taught by the greatest football minds on the planet, not only in terms of being a football players, but also being a man. I became brothers with the best teammates in the nation. And I made countless memories that made me the person that I am today. I have no words to adequately express my extreme gratitude."
Davis, a CBS Sports first-team All American last season, is the third-ranked draft-eligible offensive lineman and ranked No. 17 overall in the updated CBS Sports 2021 draft prospect rankings.
His decision comes one day after Ohio State coach Ryan Day issued a statement on pushing the Big Ten to go back on its decision to postpone the 2020 college football season to the spring of 2021. Davis shared his disappointment about not being able to play this season in his statement.
"I should be in the middle of preparing for our game this week," he wrote. "Instead, due to the events of 2020, I spent the last weeks with my family and coaching staff trying to determine my future. On one hand, playing at The Ohio State has been the experience of a lifetime. On the other, my childhood dream is to play in the NFL."
That roster includes quarterback Justin Fields, running back Master Teague III, cornerback Shaun Wade and other top-tier college football stars who have decisions to make if the Big Ten doesn't alter its plans to play in the spring.
