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He was out, but they pulled him back in.
Such was the case for Michigan redshirt sophomore Jalen Mayfield, the Wolverines starting right tackle, as he opted out of any potential season that the maize and blue might have in August — after the Big Ten postponed fall sports — only to reverse course exactly one month, to the day, later.
Mayfield’s father, on the day that the Big Ten announced it would return to action this fall, told the Detroit Free Press that his son would remain in the NFL draft, but a week later, buzz came that he would change his mind. He did, in fact, reverse course, and has since been cleared by the NCAA to be eligible in the season that kicks off on Oct. 24.
But what was it that brought him back to Ann Arbor after being staunchly opposed to playing? Turns out, it was his teammates, Mayfield told BTN’s Mike Hall.
“A couple days after, a couple guys were texting me, letting me know I’m welcome back,” Mayfield said. “I think that’s what kind of did it for me. I felt like I love to play football, and when it was taken away from me, it was kinda odd. I was faced with a bunch of decisions to make. But I really wanted to play football, and it when it was announced that it was returning, I wanted to play this season with all the guys.”
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But, of course, it wasn’t as easy as just saying that he wanted to return and strapping on a winged helmet.
Mayfield had signed with an agent and had missed several weeks of school. So there was something of a process that had to be involved with returning to Michigan.
He said that the coaches helped him through it as well as making him feel sound in his decision to come back.
“It was a long process,” Mayfield said. “Coach Warinner, Coach Gattis and Coach Harbaugh reached out to me and they were talking to me the whole time, even though we didn’t know if we were having a season or not, they were staying confident that we do. They were talking to me on a consistent basis.
“When I said I wanted to come back, I talked to my position coach and then talked to Coach Gattis and they were excited to have me back and they were welcoming.”
While Mayfield did return, the two other opt-outs remain opted out at this juncture.
Ambry Thomas told WolverinesWire this week that he intends to stay in the NFL draft, and it’s not yet known whether or not Nico Collins will remain in or return to the team, as he’s yet to make any sort of statement on the matter. Jim Harbaugh said on his radio show on Monday that Mayfield is the only one of the three who had started the process towards restoring his eligibility, though all three had signed with agents.
Mayfield says he speaks with the other two, and is doing his best to recruit them back to Michigan. However, whatever they decide, Mayfield says he will support them, regardless.
“I’ve talked to them a couple times, but it’s their decision,” Mayfield said. “I want them to come back of course, but sometimes you’ve got to make decisions for yourself. But I would personally love to have them back, but there’s no hard feelings if they don’t come back – though I wish they would. But I have no idea what they’re gonna do.”
Watch the entire interview below:
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