Minnesota's Rashod Bateman Wants to Play Despite Opting Out, Signing with Agent

University of Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman has reportedly had a change of heart after opting out of the 2020 college football season.

According to Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, Bateman now wants to play despite the fact that he opted out and hired an agent. He is currently on campus and enrolled as a full-time student.

Thamel added that Bateman and other players in similar situations will need clearance from the NCAA to play in 2020.

University of Minnesota head football coach P.J. Fleck released a statement on the matter and divulged that Bateman has been granted a waiver to practice with the team, although his waiver to play is still pending:

After initially voting against playing in the fall, the Big Ten held another vote this week and reversed course, meaning its season will now begin Oct. 23.

Bateman opted out in early August at a time when it was unclear if the Big Ten or any other conference would play football during the fall.

At the time, he cited "uncertainty around health and safety in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic" as the primary reason behind his decision:

Bateman is coming off a productive year, as he finished second on the team in receptions (60), receiving yardage (1,219) and receiving touchdowns (11) last season as a sophomore.

With Tyler Johnson moving on to the NFL, Bateman was in line to be the Golden Gophers' unquestioned No. 1 wideout in 2020. He played a key role in Minnesota's success last season, as it finished 7-2 in Big Ten play and 11-2 overall, marking its best win total since going 13-0 in 1904.

In an early 2021 NFL mock draft from Bleacher Report's Matt Miller, he projected Bateman to go 15th overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Ultimately, his fate will be decided by the NCAA, which has to determine whether the extenuating circumstances warrant letting him and others play in 2020 despite hiring agents.