Shaun Wade Says He Could Reconsider Coming Back if Big Ten Returns
Yesterday, Ohio State standout cornerback Shaun Wade became the second Buckeye to opt-out of the 2020 college football season, joining offensive lineman Wyatt Davis.
His decision to opt-out might not be for long.
Wade joined Marty Smith’s America The Podcast to explain his decision to opt-out of this season. Those reasons were highlighted yesterday. However, there is a chance that Wade has not played his final game as a Buckeye.
“The only thing is, I haven’t signed yet,” he said. “If these next couple days they can get a vote and I feel comfortable with the protocols that they have. I might reconsider coming back.”
Ohio State could be in luck as the Big Ten is scheduled to vote any day now to start the season as early as Oct. 17. However, Wade will need to see some concrete protocols outlined before he could return to school.
“That’s another thing. There’s a lot of protocols they just not talking about,” he said. “I don’t know if that’s what they’re talking about now with the schedule and everything. I just need everything on the line before I just come back right away.
“If they just say we have a season, that’s nothin’ in my opinion. That’s just how I feel.”
Wade did not hold back on his feelings of the conference and the lack of transparency.
“There’s no clarity. There’s just none,” he stated. “If we’re amateurs like they’re calling us than they need to tell our parents and our coaches so they can get us an answer.
“There’s no clarity with the coaches and they’re the ones that are supposed to be our father figure. When they come back and tell us like, ‘we don’t know what we’re gonna do.’ And they’re practicing right now. What if someone tears they ACL because they still don’t know if they gonna have a season. That could hurt someone’s career and life.”
As a result of the Big Ten dragging its feet with a potential plan, Wade said he hasn’t been practicing with the team since the beginning of September, he told Smith.
“That’s why I wasn’t out there practicing cause there is no clarity and we don’t know what’s still going to happen, there’s no reason for us to practice and everything.”
Although Wade has some hard feelings towards the Big Ten, the opposite could be said for Ohio State. He felt the Buckeyes were doing everything to ensure they played this year.
“Everybody did the protocols they was supposed to do,” he said. “Ohio State did everything they was supposed to do. We were getting tested twice a week and everything. It is crazy how the Big Ten — I don’t want to say gave up — but cancelled the season.”
The Buckeyes will have to hold out hope that their star cornerback will be in the mix yet this season.
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