Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley to skip season and prepare for NFL draft due to coronavirus concerns

Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley announced Wednesday he will forgo the 2020 college football season due to COVID-19 health concerns and instead start preparing for the NFL draft. The projected first-round pick is not the first to make such a decision but is the highest profile college player to do so thus far.

Originally projected as a wide receiver when he arrived in Blacksburg, Farley transitioned to defense and led the Hokies with four interceptions last season as a redshirt sophomore, returning one for a touchdown. He also recorded 20 total tackles and 12 pass breakups.

“Though the competitor in me badly wants to play this season, I cannot ignore what is in my heart,” Farley said in an Instagram video, saying he lost his mother to an illness in 2018 and that he does not want to put any other family members at risk.

The Hokies are expected to be among the contenders for the ACC Coastal title this season, though Farley’s absence will leave a hole in a secondary that was projected to be a major strength for the defense.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.