Ja’Marr Chase makes first public statement since opting out of LSU football season

Ja’Marr Chase made his first statement since opting out of the 2020 season.

Just weeks before Ed Orgeron and LSU were going to kick off the 2020 season and defend their national title, they were punched in the gut when star receiver Ja’Marr Chase chose to opt-out of the season and work on preparing for the NFL Draft. Chase wanted to let the Bayou Bengal faithful know that he was going pro, and he took issue with the fact his decision was leaked beforehand.

Chase issued his first comments since opting out of the 2020 season, claiming that he was upset with the fact he didn’t get to break the news himself.

Ja’Marr Chase is expected to be the No. 1 wide receiver in the 2021 draft

Chase had one of the greatest seasons that a college receiver has ever had last year. While Minnesota Vikings rookie Justin Jefferson recorded more receptions than him, Chase piled up 20 touchdowns on 84 catches while totaling 1,780 yards receiving and won the Biletnikoff as the nation’s top receiver. Losing that production puts even more of an emphasis on the play of wideout Terrance Marshall and star tight end recruit Arik Gilbert in Myles Brennan’s passing attack.

While Minnesota’s Rashod Bateman and Purdue’s Rondale Moore, both of whom also opted out of the 2020 season, have put forth convincing cases, Chase is expected to be the first receiver off the board in April. Given his blend of speed, route-running ability, and physicality at the catch point, Chase can step into any receiver room and carve out a role for himself in his first season as a pro and will likely be a top 3-5 pick.

Due to the draft and the truncated season, LSU has now lost three of their top four receiving options in addition to their Heisman-winning quarterback and first-round pick running back in Joe Burrow and Clyde Edwards-Helaire. While they have the talent and infrastructure to recover, and Chase’s decision is completely understandable given the circumstances, this still has to sting Tigers fans right to the core.

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