Ohio State football: Shaun Wade, Wyatt Davis cleared to return for title chase

PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 16: Shaun Wade #24 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates his interception with teammates Jeff Okudah #1 and Pete Werner #20 in the first quarter against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
PISCATAWAY, NEW JERSEY - NOVEMBER 16: Shaun Wade #24 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates his interception with teammates Jeff Okudah #1 and Pete Werner #20 in the first quarter against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at SHI Stadium on November 16, 2019 in Piscataway, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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Ohio State will officially have Shaun Wade and Wyatt Davis back for the 2020 season.

Ohio State football will be back in four weeks and they’ll have two of their most important players back when they do.

On Monday, head coach Ryan Day confirmed the All-American candidates have been cleared to play, according to ESPN.

Both players had declared for the NFL Draft when the Big Ten canceled their fall season. When the league reversed course and planned a restart beginning on Oct. 24, the two began the process of regaining their eligibility.

Ohio State’s title hopes are bolstered by Shaun Wade and Wyatt Davis.

For Ohio State, getting Wade and Davis back is a huge boost in their hopes of returning to the College Football Playoff.

Wade was voted to the All-Big Ten third-team for 2019 after serving as the Buckeyes’ slot corner. He was Ohio State’s Player of the Game against Rutgers and Michigan State. Going into the 2020 season, he featured on the Bednarik Award Watch List and was voted to the Preseason All-Big Ten First-Team.

Like Wade, Davis was a former five-star recruit. He already achieved All-American status in 2019 as a four-game starter at guard and was favored to repeat that acclaim in 2020 as a redshirt junior.

Wade and Davis were both considered first-round prospects for the upcoming NFL Draft.

Ohio State will open their 2020 campaign against Nebraska on Oct. 24 as they look to repeat as Big Ten for the fourth consecutive year. It’ll take rolling through an eight-game conference-only schedule to do so.

With Wade available to cover receivers and Davis back in the trenches, the path to the playoff is clear for the Buckeyes, who jumped into the latest AP Top 25 at No. 6.

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