Nov 13, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers wide receiver Rashod Bateman (0) rushes with the ball after making a catch in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota WR Bateman opts out to pursue draft preparation

The Minnesota Gophers hope to resume season after a COVID-19 outbreak canceled Saturday’s rivalry game at Wisconsin, but standout wide receiver Rashod Bateman won’t be a part of it.

Bateman opted out of what remains of Minnesota’s season on Wednesday with a Twitter announcement that he will skip the rest of the 2020 season to begin to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft.

“After further dialogue with Coach Fleck and my family, we decided that after this most recent Covid-19 outbreak and the cancellation of this weekend’s game, that it made the most sense to begin to focus on the next stage of my career,” Bateman posted.

The Gophers (2-3) halted practice Monday before formally shutting the team down for the week on Tuesday. The program has announced 15 positive COVID-19 cases, with nine players and six staff members, with more presumed positives possible on the way.

Bateman was one of the first notable players to opt out of the season in August after becoming sick with COVID-19 during the summer. He changed his mind and returned to the team when the Big Ten announced it was resuming its season with new safety protocols.

Bateman had signed with an agency and took money for housing and other expenses after opting out the first time, but received special dispensation from the NCAA that allowed him to return for the 2020 season.

Bateman, projected to be a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, racked up 36 catches for 472 yards and two touchdowns in five games this season for Minnesota. Bateman was named the Big Ten Receiver of the Year in 2019 after catching 60 passes for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Nov 13, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers wide receiver Rashod Bateman (0) rushes with the ball after making a catch in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota WR Bateman opts out to pursue draft preparation

The Minnesota Gophers hope to resume season after a COVID-19 outbreak canceled Saturday’s rivalry game at Wisconsin, but standout wide receiver Rashod Bateman won’t be a part of it.

Bateman opted out of what remains of Minnesota’s season on Wednesday with a Twitter announcement that he will skip the rest of the 2020 season to begin to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft.

“After further dialogue with Coach Fleck and my family, we decided that after this most recent Covid-19 outbreak and the cancellation of this weekend’s game, that it made the most sense to begin to focus on the next stage of my career,” Bateman posted.

The Gophers (2-3) halted practice Monday before formally shutting the team down for the week on Tuesday. The program has announced 15 positive COVID-19 cases, with nine players and six staff members, with more presumed positives possible on the way.

Bateman was one of the first notable players to opt out of the season in August after becoming sick with COVID-19 during the summer. He changed his mind and returned to the team when the Big Ten announced it was resuming its season with new safety protocols.

Bateman had signed with an agency and took money for housing and other expenses after opting out the first time, but received special dispensation from the NCAA that allowed him to return for the 2020 season.

Bateman, projected to be a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, racked up 36 catches for 472 yards and two touchdowns in five games this season for Minnesota. Bateman was named the Big Ten Receiver of the Year in 2019 after catching 60 passes for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Nov 13, 2020; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers wide receiver Rashod Bateman (0) rushes with the ball after making a catch in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota WR Bateman opts out to pursue draft preparation

The Minnesota Gophers hope to resume season after a COVID-19 outbreak canceled Saturday’s rivalry game at Wisconsin, but standout wide receiver Rashod Bateman won’t be a part of it.

Bateman opted out of what remains of Minnesota’s season on Wednesday with a Twitter announcement that he will skip the rest of the 2020 season to begin to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft.

“After further dialogue with Coach Fleck and my family, we decided that after this most recent Covid-19 outbreak and the cancellation of this weekend’s game, that it made the most sense to begin to focus on the next stage of my career,” Bateman posted.

The Gophers (2-3) halted practice Monday before formally shutting the team down for the week on Tuesday. The program has announced 15 positive COVID-19 cases, with nine players and six staff members, with more presumed positives possible on the way.

Bateman was one of the first notable players to opt out of the season in August after becoming sick with COVID-19 during the summer. He changed his mind and returned to the team when the Big Ten announced it was resuming its season with new safety protocols.

Bateman had signed with an agency and took money for housing and other expenses after opting out the first time, but received special dispensation from the NCAA that allowed him to return for the 2020 season.

Bateman, projected to be a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, racked up 36 catches for 472 yards and two touchdowns in five games this season for Minnesota. Bateman was named the Big Ten Receiver of the Year in 2019 after catching 60 passes for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Nov 30, 2019; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers wide receiver Rashod Bateman (13) catches a touchdown pass in the first quarter against the Wisconsin Badgers at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports

Minnesota WR Bateman to skip season, prepare for NFL draft

Rashod Bateman, a potential first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, will not return to the Minnesota Golden Gophers, he announced Tuesday.

In a video posted to Twitter, Bateman said the decision to opt out of the season to prepare for the draft was one of the “hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make in my life” and that he wished he could return to play for a Big Ten championship in 2020.

“In light of the uncertainty around health and safety in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I have to set my wishes aside for the wellness of my family, community and beyond,” he said. “Because of this, I have decided to opt out of the 2020 college football season and I will be taking the next steps in my journey by declaring for the 2021 NFL Draft.”

He was a third-team Associated Press All-American selection and also was named the Big Ten’s top receiver in 2019.

Bateman follows Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley in opting out of the college football season and he does so with the support of coach P.J. Fleck.

“This morning, Rashod informed the team that he and his family made the decision to forgo his remaining eligibility and focus on training for the 2021 NFL Draft,” Fleck wrote on Twitter. “Rashod played a pivotal role in helping mold the University of Minnesota into an elite Big Ten program. He was a joy to coach and has developed into an NFL caliber of player. We could not be more proud of Rashod’s historic and All-American career at Minnesota.”

In just two seasons with the Golden Gophers, Bateman had 111 receptions for 1,923 yards and 17 touchdowns. His 704 yards set a Minnesota receiving record in his freshman season in 2018, and he also set the sophomore record last season with 1,219.

The loss of Bateman is a big blow to the Gophers, who finished 11-2 in a breakout season in 2019. They also lost wide receiver Tyler Johnson, who caught 86 passes last season. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the fifth round of the draft in April.

–Field Level Media