Evan Stewart could be heading to the SEC in the future. Wherever he goes to college, that will also be the next time that he plays a game of football.

On Tuesday, Stewart announced on Twitter that he was opting out of the remainder of his senior season at Liberty High School in Frisco, Texas. The 5-star wide receiver was once committed to Texas, and his top 5 choices include the Longhorns as well as Alabama, Florida, LSU and Texas A&M, according to Jeremy Crabtree of On3.com.

Stewart, who is the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2022 class per the 247Sports Composite rankings, stated that he will now be “mentally and physically preparing myself for the next level of my football career and a huge step in life” in his announcement:

This isn’t the first time that a top high school recruit has chosen to opt out to begin preparing for college football. Earlier this year, 4-star running back Jaydon Blue, a Texas commit, made the same choice. Quinn Ewers, who is currently a quarterback at Ohio State, also did it.

Perhaps this is a trend that will become even more common in the future. By the time these players are seniors, they’ve likely already impressed college programs enough to receive a bunch of offers. So by not playing, they don’t risk getting injured before heading to college.

So the next time Stewart suits up and takes the field, it will be for one of the top colleges on his list. But that’s still a decision that he’ll have to make.