Ohio State WR's Olave And Wilson Opt Out Of Rose Bowl, Declare For 2022 NFL Draft

The Rose Bowl will look a lot different than previously advertised, with several big names opting out.

Ohio State junior receiver Garrett Wilson announced Monday that he is opting out of the game and will declare for the 2022 NFL Draft. Head coach Ryan Day then confirmed via ESPN's Jordan Reid that senior receiver Chris Olave, junior offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere and graduate defensive tackle Haskell Garrett all opted out as well.

That makes for a massively shorthanded No. 7 Ohio State (10-2) team in the New Year's Day matchup against No. 10 Utah (10-3) at 5:00 p.m. on ESPN. The Buckeyes are a 6.5-point favorite, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

According to The Draft Network's Big Board, Olave is the No. 1 receiver in the 2022 class, No. 11 overall. Wilson is the No. 6 receiver, No. 29 overall. Both Petit-Frere and Garrett are viewed as mid-round prospects. Olave's career ends with 175 receptions for 2,702 yards and 35 touchdowns. Wilson finishes with 143 receptions for 2,213 yards and 24 touchdowns. Garrett had a career-high 5.5 sacks in 2021, finishing with 7.5 for his career.

The Rose Bowl is often regarded as one of, if not the most prestigious bowl game, which makes the opt outs quite interesting. These are different times, however, as most highly-rated draft prospects elect to enter the draft early and not risk injury.

The Ohio State quartet joins Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett, Michigan State's Kenneth Walker III and Notre Dame's Kyle Hamilton as notable draft prospects to opt out of their team's bowl game.


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Nick Geddes is a 2021 graduate of the University of Central Florida with a bachelor’s degree in Journalism. A life-long sports enthusiast, Nick shares a passion for sports writing and is proud to represent OutKick.