Report: LSU's Chase opting out of season to prepare for 2021 NFL Draft

LSU star wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase has informed the team he will opt out of the 2020 college football season to concentrate on his NFL career, sources told CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd.

The reigning Biletnikoff Award winner, Chase was arguably the nation's premier pass-catcher and is expected to be a first-round pick next April.

Chase is expected to make an official announcement regarding his decision Monday.

The junior's opt-out isn't directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Dodd. It's believed NFL agents may have convinced Chase to leave the Tigers ahead of his final collegiate campaign.

Along with 2020 first overall pick Joe Burrow, Chase helped pace the Tigers' record-breaking offense last season. He amassed 84 receptions for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns, including 221 yards and two scores in the national championship game against Clemson.

The talented wideout would easily be the highest-profile player to opt out of the 2020 campaign thus far. Other prominent offensive players skipping the upcoming slate include Oklahoma's Kennedy Brooks and Wake Forest's Sage Surratt. Big Ten stars Rondale Moore, Micah Parsons, and Rashod Bateman have also opted out as the conference currently isn't slated to stage games this fall.

LSU, meanwhile, now appears set to suffer yet another loss after its spectacular 2019 campaign. Fourteen players from Ed Orgeron's squad heard their names called in the draft this past April, with seven selected in the first two rounds. Starting safety Kary Vincent Jr. recently decided to skip the 2020 season as well.

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