With the huge amount of change that's going on in college football, it should be no shocker that a large number of players are choosing to opt-out of essentially meaningless bowl games. Ohio State wideout's Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave are amongst those group of players, announcing Monday that they will be skipping the Rose Bowl and declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft in two separate posts on Twitter.
Wilson, who is projected to land in the first round, made the announcement on his Twitter account Monday that he will be skipping the Buckeyes Rose Bowl matchup against Utah to prepare and focus on the upcoming draft.
"I want to start this off by thanking all of you from the bottom of my heart," Wilson wrote. "These last three years have been unforgettable and becoming a Buckeye has been the single greatest decision of my life. I would like to thank my teammates, trainers and our entire coaching staff -- coach Hartline, coach Day, coach Mick and coach Nico, thank you. I wouldn't be in this situation without each and every one of you."
Wilson was an All-American this season, recording 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns this season, cementing himself as one of the best receivers in the country, leaving NFL GMs and scouts salivating at the opportunity to draft him.
As for Olave, a first-team All-Big Ten selection this season, he will also skip the Rose Bowl to focus on the draft. Olave will end his final college season having led the team with 13 receiving touchdowns, 65 catches and 936 yards through the air.
The receiver out of California exceeded expectations as a three-star recruit. He was instrumental in the Buckeyes' success during his time in Colombus--winning three Big Ten Championships from 2018 through 2020 and helping Ohio State reach the College Football Playoff in each of the past two seasons. He could've easily left after his junior season before opting to return to Ohio State for a senior season.
Despite a ton of spotlight being shone on Olave and Wilson, Ohio State hasn't churned out many first-round receivers in recent history. The Buckeyes have had a lot of success in the first round, enjoying 16 picks on Day 1 of the draft since 2016 -- however, none of them were wide receivers. In fact, the last receiver(s) to be selected in the first-round was Ted Ginn Jr. and Anthony Gonzalez, who were taken by the Dolphins and Colts, respectively, in 2007
According to various mock drafts', Wilson and Olave are both ranked inside the top five of receivers in the draft class and are expected to be off the board early.
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