According to Inside Texas*, junior safety Caden Sterns is expected to opt-out of the rest of the 2020 season. Sterns has played in seven games this season, missing the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma. Now, he will miss the Kansas and Kansas State game plus Texas’ bowl.
*link requires paid subsription
Per the report, it is not known if Sterns will return to play next season or if he will be declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft. The safety is not expected to be a top-three round talent just yet and could benefit from another year in Austin.
In Sterns’ seven games, he has recorded 52 tackles, second on the team. In pass coverage, he has three passes defended and one interception. His progression has declined since an outstanding freshman season.
In Tom Herman’s Monday press conference, the head coach said there would not be any more opt-outs after Samuel Cosmi. Now, the Longhorns will be without their starting free safety for the final three games of the year.
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On Big 12 call, Tom Herman said of Sam Cosmi’s opt-out, “wish him nothing but the best.” If anyone else wanted to opt out, “they would have happened already.”
— Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) November 30, 2020
This morning when asked about more opt outs Herman said if there were we would have already known.
And here we are.
— Patrick (@PatSportsGuy) November 30, 2020
Sterns is a former five-star recruit and was the top player in the 2018 class, Herman’s first cycle. Winning Big 12 Freshman of the Year brought excitement to what he would bring to Texas’ secondary for at least two more years.
Now, he will need to go through the pre-NFL Draft process to see where he stands before deciding to come back to school or not. Maybe a coaching change will have an influence on his decision.
