Shaun Wade Officially Returning to Ohio State for 2020 Season

Wade announced on Sportscenter that he will return for the upcoming fall season after previously walking away to prepare for the draft.

Shaun Wade is easily Ohio State's best defensive player, and perhaps a cornerback's best asset is his agility.

Good news for the Buckeyes - Wade pivoted fast from his opt out decision earlier this week. Wade appeared on ESPN's SportsCenter on Thursday night to announce that he is returning for the 2020 campaign.

Wade initially opted out of the college football season on Monday to start his preparation for the NFL Draft, saying that he was tired of the lack of communication from the Big Ten and he didn't want to be practicing for a season he didn't know they may or may not play. Once the Big Ten announced on Wednesday that they were returning, Wade decided to opt back in.

“There was no clarity [last week], and now there’s some clarity going on with a season and with the protocols and everything," Wade told Lettermen Row. I feel comfortable playing with the season going on now. But at the end of the day, I knew I wanted to come back. That was where my heart was. I came back the first time for a reason, and that’s to win a national championship.”

Wade's presence in the secondary is critical for the Buckeyes, who including him, have only five cornerbacks on the roster that aren't true freshmen. Head coach Ryan Day loves the potential of that group and realizes they lack championship game experience, but he has pointed on that they've played some meaningful snaps during the 2019 season and they won't be starting completely from scratch.

Wade joins his teammate Wyatt Davis in opting back in after the Big Ten's announcement. Davis is also a projected first rounder next April and he opted out of the season before any of the Big Ten news started coming together last weekend.

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