You may have thought it was a done deal when defensive back Shaun Wade and Wyatt Davis were seen practicing with the program again, but these things are complicated with where things stand in this COVID-19 pandemic.
To be fair, there are a slew of kids that opted-out through all the drama and turmoil of the Big Ten, Pac-12, and other programs deciding whether they were going to play or not. It’s not just at Ohio State. Still though, the NCAA is going to have to make some decisions across many teams and fronts on this thing, and according to Ryan Day, both Davis and Wade got the news they wanted.
When asked about the official status of both while appearing on the Buckeye Roundtable radio show on the IMG Radio Network Monday, Day confirmed both are officially cleared.
“It’s great to have those guys back,” Day said. “Wyatt got great news and Shaun’s good to go.”
The sticking point in all of this is official and unofficial interactions with agents. Wade had all along said that he did not sign anything so there was no worry there, but the status of Davis and any agents was not truly known in. In fact, he communicated his intentions to enter the 2021 NFL Draft a couple of days earlier and may have been further along in the process.
Regardless, it looks like all is set for Ohio State’s two players that decided to opt-out. As far as other programs go, Day also shared that he believes unprecedented times call for the NCAA to be flexible and accommodating on all of the cases.
“I also just think that that’s the right thing to do for these guys in the Big Ten, whether it’s Rondale Moore (Purdue) or (Rashod) Bateman at Minnesota, I just think those guys deserve to play,” said Day. “They got kind of put in a different situation than we’ve ever seen before in the history of college football, and now that we’re playing again. I think all of those guys deserve the opportunity to play. I think it’s good for football and good for the Big Ten.”
So there you have it. Day is a man of the people, whether they wear scarlet and gray or — heaven forbid — maize and blue.
For now at least, Ohio State, along with Davis and Wade, can move full speed ahead towards a 2020 fall football season set to kick off in late October.
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