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Auburn linebacker Chandler Wooten announces he is opting out of the upcoming college football season
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After several NFL players announced their decisions to opt-out of the upcoming NFL season, it hasn’t taken long for the trend to reach the college ranks.
Until Thursday, no Auburn players had publicly made the decision to sit out the season but that changed this evening as senior linebacker Chandler Wooten announced he plans to opt-out this season.
In his released statement, Wooten cited the fact he is expecting the birth of a son in November as a reason for deciding to opt-out of the coming season. Wooten plans on taking a redshirt season and returning to the Tigers in 2021.
“As a soon to be father, my number one priority is the safety and well-being of my family. Unfortunately, playing this season was ultimately not a risk that I was willing to take. I have ultimately decided to opt-out of this season and redshirt. Upon reaching this decision, I had great conversations with AD Allen Greene, Coach Malzahn, and my position coach, Coach T-Will. I couldn’t have asked for a better support system during the duration of this process.”
Last season, Wooten made 27 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss and registered an interception after appearing in 11 games.
Following Wooten’s decision, Gus Malzahn offered his support of the senior linebacker.
I had a good talk with Chandler and because of health concerns for he and his family, he’s decided to opt out of the 2020 season. We fully support and respect his decision and look forward to having him back next year. https://t.co/HSnJybLYnL
— Coach Gus Malzahn (@CoachGusMalzahn) August 6, 2020
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
