2021 NFL Draft: Rondale Moore opts out of 2020 CFB season
Rondale Moore has decided not to try to improve his 2021 NFL Draft stock
Rondale Moore has become the latest college football star to elect to skip the 2020 season and declare for the 2021 NFL Draft on a busy day of opt outs.
The Purdue wide receiver followed Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons and Miami pass rusher Gregory Rousseau in announcing on Thursday that he would forego the coming campaign and focus on his preparations for the draft.
He is the second wideout to come to that decision, with Minnesota star Rashod Bateman having opted to do the same.
In a statement released on Twitter, Moore said:
"“Given the unprecedented circumstances we are currently living in, the best choice for my family and I is to opt out of the upcoming season and prepare for the 2021 NFL Draft. This is a bittersweet decision because I always assumed I had more great moments at Ross-Ae Stadium ahead of me and I will greatly miss the entire community.”"
Despite not playing this year, Moore figures to be firmly in the mix to be selected in the first round next April after a collegiate career in which he flashed tremendous playmaking potential.
He racked up 1,471 yards from scrimmage and 14 total touchdowns in a remarkable 2018 season. Moore was, however, unable to follow up his stunning freshman season with an equally impressive 2019 campaign, as a series of hamstring injuries led him to miss the final eight games of the year.
Those durability issues and his smaller frame – Moore is 5ft 9in and 175 pounds – may put some teams off from considering him early in the draft.
Others, though, will be focused on Moore’s upside, which comes in his incredible ability after the catch. With his running style akin to that of a running back, Moore will inevitably draw comparisons to San Francisco 49ers star Deebo Samuel.
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Moore has the same blend of contact balance and elusiveness and, after the impact Samuel had for the Niners, there are likely to be teams who – if they are convinced by the medicals – will target Moore to have the same influence on their offense.