Ohio State Buckeyes All-American candidates Shaun Wade and Wyatt Davis have been cleared to play this season after opting back in.
Ohio State coach Ryan Day said both players would be eligible during an interview on 97.1 FM in Columbus, Ohio, on Monday.
A team captain for the Buckeyes, Wade was listed as ESPN analyst Mel Kiper’s No. 7 prospect on the Big Board earlier this month, and Todd McShay’s No. 2 cornerback and No. 13 prospect overall for the 2021 NFL draft. He had four interceptions over the past two seasons, and he also picked up two sacks in 2019.
Wade, a junior from Jacksonville, Florida, declared for the NFL draft on Sept. 14 when the Big Ten season seemed in doubt. He told ESPN’s Outside the Lines that he hired an agent when he opted out, but never signed paperwork with the agency.
Davis, a 6-foot-4, 315-pound junior, started all 14 games for the Buckeyes last season, and he is listed as the No. 30 draft prospect by McShay and as the No. 1 draft-eligible guard by Kiper Jr. The Buckeyes are scheduled to open the season against Nebraska at home on Oct. 24.