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With good news comes — other news.
We already know that Jalen Mayfield’s Michigan career is done, as his father told Detroit Free Press writer Orion Sang that he will not reconsider his decision to enter the 2021 NFL Draft. While we know that Ambry Thomas signed with an agent, we don’t know if he’ll petition to return to school for his final season of eligibility.
But, under the radar, it seems that Nico Collins also signed with an agent as well.
Per NFLPA records, five of the eight have signed with agents—Bateman (Blake Baratz), Mayfield (CAA), Parsons (David Mulugheta), Slater (CAA) and Thomas (Drew Rosenhaus). In addition to those guys, a third Michigan player, Nico Collins, has signed (Rosenhaus).
SI’s Michigan site first reported that Collins had opted out, seemingly before the Big Ten announced officially it was restoring the 2020 fall football season.
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But, just as ESPN’s Tom VanHaaren reported that players who signed with agents could apply to have their student-athlete status reinstated, prominent lawyer Tom Mars told The Athletic ($) that given the Big Ten’s messaging, it would be difficult to keep players who want to suit up one more year at the college level away from the game.
Tom Mars, an attorney who has successfully acted on the behalf of players in cases against the NCAA, makes the point that under these extraordinary circumstances, someone who did accept benefits would indeed have a strong case to come back.
“The fact that the commissioner said the decision will ‘not be revisited’ and that these guys relied on that statement would allow the NCAA to bring these guys back without setting any precedent that would create a problem down the road,” Mars told The Athletic on Wednesday. “These are extraordinary circumstances that are never going to occur again. Because the Big Ten commissioner was so definitive, with no contradictory statement ever being made by the conference until today, there is a unique flexibility for the NCAA to allow these players to come back — including those who accepted insignificant benefits.
“If Kevin Warren hadn’t made that statement, I don’t think the players who declared for the NFL draft and accepted benefits would have a prayer of being declared eligible.
As of yet, Collins has yet to make any kind of statement as to his future. We’ll wait and see if he decides to opt back in, or attempt to rejoin the team at this juncture.