Dimitri Moore tallied 99 total tackles (48 solo) as a redshirt sophomore in 2019. He also accumulated six tackles for a loss and three passes defended. Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Vanderbilt's Dimitri Moore opts back in, will play in 2020

By Zac Wassink | Last updated Aug 25, 2020 6:42 PM ET

In an unusual development within the sports world amid the coronavirus pandemic, Vanderbilt linebacker Dimitri Moore announced via Instagram that he was opting back in for the 2020 college football season.

View this post on Instagram

Who do you mask up for?.. After my grandfather's passing from COVID-19, I made a decision to opt-out of the upcoming football season. Since then, I have done more research and had many conversations with doctors and medical personnel. I look forward to returning to the program and playing this season, and I have made this decision on my own. As a team, we are responsible for our actions and hold each other accountable within our environment. I have trust and confidence in Vanderbilt's testing abilities and safety protocols.

A post shared by Dimitri Moore (@dimitrimoore7) on Aug 25, 2020 at 11:56am PDT

"After my grandfather's passing from COVID-19, I made a decision to opt-out of the upcoming football season," the star linebacker explained.

"Since then, I have done more research and had many conversations with doctors and medical personnel. I look forward to returning to the program and playing this season, and I have made this decision on my own. As a team, we are responsible for our actions and hold each other accountable within our environment. I have trust and confidence in Vanderbilt's testing abilities and safety protocols."

According to the official website for Vanderbilt athletics, Moore tallied 99 total tackles (48 solo) as a redshirt sophomore in 2019. He also accumulated six tackles for a loss and three passes defended.

Earlier in the day, the Associated Press (h/t ESPN) explained that 23 AP preseason All-Americans are currently slated to not play this fall either because of conferences postponing football due to the pandemic or because they opted out.

Vanderbilt is scheduled to open the campaign at the Texas A&M Aggies on Sept. 26.

Zac Wassink

Zac Wassink is a longtime sports news writer and PFWA member who began his career in 2006 and has had his work featured on Yardbarker, MSN, Yahoo Sports and Bleacher Report. He is also a football and futbol aficionado who is probably yelling about Tottenham Hotspur at the moment and who chanted for Matt Harvey to start the ninth inning of Game 5 of the 2015 World Series at Citi Field. You can find him on X at @ZacWassink

More must-reads: