LSU star Ja'Marr Chase opting out of season to prepare for NFL draft

The SEC is still planning to play football this fall, but LSU star wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase will not be sticking around for the season.

Chase has informed LSU that he is opting out of the 2020 season to focus on his professional career, according to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports. The decision is unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the belief being that Chase’s agents convinced him to forego his junior season.

Under NFL rules, players become eligible for the draft three years after their high school graduation — even if they do not play all three of those years.

Chase is widely expected to be the first wide receiver taken in the 2021 NFL Draft. He has a good chance to be a top-five pick, so it’s possible he feels his stock cannot get any higher if he plays this season.

Chase set SEC records last season while helping LSU win a national title. His 1,780 yards and 20 receiving touchdowns were the most in conference history. He won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver.

With Chase expected to be out of the picture, an even bigger opportunity has opened up for a player LSU offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger is expecting big things from in 2020.