Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley, who is projected as a first-round draft choice next spring, is the first college player to announce he is opting out of the 2020 season.
Farley instead will spend the year training for the NFL draft.
“I am opting out due to uncertain health conditions and regulations and all the other opt outs going on in football right now,” Farley said in a video. “I tragically lost my mother, Robin, Jan. 2, 2018, to an illness, and I cannot afford to lose another parent or loved one. Though the competitor in me badly wants to play this season, I cannot ignore what’s going on in my heart, and I must make the decision that brings me the most peace.”
Farley is coming off back surgery, repairing an injury that cost him the final two games of the 2019 season.
Farley played quarterback in high school before transitioning to cornerback when he arrived in Blacksburg in 2017.