4 star Texas football player opts out of 4th year of high school

[goatmane]

New trend? Texas commit with sights on NFL announces opt out of HS season
Keith Farner | 2 days ago


In what is seen as an eyebrow-raising decision in some recruiting and high school football circles, a Texas Longhorns commit has announced that he wouldn’t play in the upcoming high school football season

Jaydon Blue, a 4-star running back out of Houston, Texas, who had a reported 36 offers, announced on social media that he hoped to avoid the “wear and tear” associated with playing the position.

“After countless hours of evaluation, I have made the decision to forego my senior season of high school football,” Blue tweeted Thursday afternoon. “This has been a very difficult decision for my family and I (sic). Football is a brutal sport, and the wear and tear associated with the RB position is undeniable. I plan to take this time to focus on my academics while enhancing my off the field training/rehab regimen. This is a strategic and conscious effort to ensure that I am prepared to perform at an elite level at the collegiate rankings during the 2022 season.”

At 5-foot 11.5 inches and 205 pounds, Blue is the No. 3 ranked running back and is the No. 48 overall prospect in the 2022 class according to 247Sports Composite rankings.



Blue ran for 2,155 yards and 30 touchdowns last season at Klein Cain, averaging 9.5 yards per carry. With scholarship offers in hand and a commitment already made, Blue felt he could take this time to train and rehab his body before college.

His decision does not impact his commitment to Texas, and the Longhorns' staff was aware he was going to make the announcement.

Blue is the first big-name prospect in the 2022 class to announce he will sit out his season. Multiple prospects in the 2021 class opted not to play -- mostly because of COVID-19 restrictions pushing their seasons to the spring.

Ohio State running back signee TreVeyon Henderson was one of those prospects who decided not to transfer to another high school when his season was pushed back from the fall. Henderson chose to train and prepare for college instead of playing a spring season.

Blue's decision is more voluntary, but his choice could impact others who see that a high-profile recruit has done it.

 

[Richard Wright]

A lot of football people won't like this but I totally get this decision for any non qb. You're a running back. If all goes well and he opts out his junior season of college too, that's a 50 percent reduction in risk and tear. He needs to ball out though. If he's just mediocre, he will be flagged as a guy who doesn't want it enough and fall. He needs to be an IMPACT player in college.

Unfortunately, as the third running back, if that placement holds through college, lets for arguments sake say he's the fifth running back on the draft board in 3 years. Thats maybe a 3rd or 4th rounder he will be? I think as a 3rd/4th round talent, they will take you off the draft board for not wanting it enough. So you go in maybe the fifth?

Overall the risk/reward, I think as a non qb he's making the right decision. But man, being a running back sucks. If you do the same analysis for the number 3 wr, you're talking about like a top ten pick in the end and $10+ million more

 

[Llcoolbay]

Makes sense. Especially as a running back

 

[Trot LaRoc]

Totally get it. Honestly kids shouldn't be playing as much as they do. Give their bodies and minds a chance to rest and heal

This is gonna end up being more common in the future hopefully

 

[FaTaL]

Smart move, hopefully he doesn’t lose his scholarship

 

[malbaker86]

I fukks wit it

 

[Megadeus]

If I didn't fxck with my h.s teammates I would do this too.

Seems to me he's balling strictly to get a college scholarship. Once his spot is reserved he could do whatever he wants basically. Not mad at it.

It does come off as selfish and noncompetitive, but to who? I already got the scholarship offers, as long as the college that I commit to is ok with it then no one else's opinion matters really.

 

[Crack Daniels]

Eh..makes sense. He’s already secured his scholly and has nothing more to gain from playing high school football

 

[VirginiaSlim75]

Naw I don’t like this. I get that he’s a top recruit and has to prepare for the future but you’ve also got to live in the present. He’s too young for sacrificing all that. I could see skipping your senior year of college but not h.s.

Do kids these days still play both basketball and football? It was common when I was in high school. Your young as hell you got plenty of juice and healing time.

 

[heart]

Naw I don’t like this. I get that he’s a top recruit and has to prepare for the future but you’ve also got to live in the present. He’s too young for sacrificing all that. I could see skipping your senior year of college but not h.s.

Do kids these days still play both basketball and football? It was common when I was in high school. Your young as hell you got plenty of juice and healing time.

I missed my entire senior year of football but received a scholarship based on my junior but that was because I was injured.

I don’t see this becoming a Trend unless you play a position that has a lot of wear & tear on the body like a running back. The coaches control a lot of things in HS, I can’t see players at top high schools sitting out senior years unless their junior year was exceptional.

Like I’m in Texas which is a like a Mecca of HS football, so these schools are super competitive and kids will want to play..

 

[Trust Me]

God dam this generation soft as fukk.

That's all I'll say on this.

 

[#1 pick]

This would be stupid if he was a QB but as a RB, I understand

 

[Tim2520]

I wouldn’t let my child play RB, the position is undervalued and just not worth it

 

[Professor Emeritus]

A lot of football people won't like this but I totally get this decision for any non qb. You're a running back. If all goes well and he opts out his junior season of college too, that's a 50 percent reduction in risk and tear. He needs to ball out though. If he's just mediocre, he will be flagged as a guy who doesn't want it enough and fall. He needs to be an IMPACT player in college.

Unfortunately, as the third running back, if that placement holds through college, lets for arguments sake say he's the fifth running back on the draft board in 3 years. Thats maybe a 3rd or 4th rounder he will be? I think as a 3rd/4th round talent, they will take you off the draft board for not wanting it enough. So you go in maybe the fifth?

Overall the risk/reward, I think as a non qb he's making the right decision. But man, being a running back sucks. If you do the same analysis for the number 3 wr, you're talking about like a top ten pick in the end and $10+ million more

Makes sense. Especially as a running back

Totally get it. Honestly kids shouldn't be playing as much as they do. Give their bodies and minds a chance to rest and heal

This is gonna end up being more common in the future hopefully

Smart move, hopefully he doesn’t lose his scholarship

I fukks wit it

Eh..makes sense. He’s already secured his scholly and has nothing more to gain from playing high school football

Honestly happy to see this reaction. If he's really focusing on his academics and preserving his body then who can hate on that?

Spoiler

I know who will hate on it, fukking obsessed white America turned on by watching young black kids fukk their bodies up for entertainment.

 

[OnlyOneBoss]

fukk it he’s a junior he’s probably done and learned all he can as a HS rb (before someone says it, I know there’s always more ).


What’s he gonna do get worse somehow?? Let him train and learn and get ready man. It’s a great choice