Sage Surratt, one of the most decorated wide receivers in program history, will opt out of the 2020 season at Wake Forest. Surratt is officially done in a Wake Forest uniform; the 6-foot-3 receiver will begin to prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft, according to Les Johns of 247 Sports.
Surratt entered the 2020 season as a redshirt junior and one of the top players and draft prospects in the ACC; his decision is the latest in a trend of future NFL talent to opt out due to concerns with COVID-19. The ACC has already seen other marquee players — like Caleb Farley, Gregory Rousseau and Jaylen Twyman — opt out to prepare for the draft, too.
Forever Grateful🖤 pic.twitter.com/fQBpdpRbln
— Sage Surratt (@SageSurratt_14) August 19, 2020
Prior to an injury (shoulder) that cut short his 2019 campaign, Surratt was in the midst of a brilliant season: 1,001 receiving yards, 66 receptions and 11 touchdowns — in only nine games. Surratt ranked second in the ACC with an average of 7.3 receptions per game, while emerging as a premier target for the ACC’s go-go offense.
After the season, Surratt could’ve entered the 2020 NFL Draft; however, in late December, he decided to return for another year at Wake Forest. Unfortunately for the Demon Deacons and Surratt, that season has been put in an incredibly precious position because of COVID-19.
For his career, Surratt — who was named to the preseason Biletnikoff Award watch list last month — finishes with 107 receptions for 1,582 yards and 15 touchdowns.
It will be interesting to see how this decision could possibility impact Sage’s brother Chazz Surratt, an All-ACC linebacker at UNC who also projects as an NFL prospect.