2021 NFL Draft: Virginia Tech corner Caleb Farley to opt out of season
Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley will opt out of the 2020 college season to prepare for the NFL Draft.
The opt outs have begun in the NFL circle, as players are worried about their own health and the health of their families if they were to play football in the fall. Now it’s happening at the collegiate level, as Virginia Tech corner Caleb Farley has decided to opt out of playing in the 2020 season.
Virginia Tech CB Caleb Farley, a projected first-round pick, is the first college player to opt out of the coming season, a source tells ESPN. Farley will spend the year training for the NFL draft. He has seen NFL players opt out and is uncomfortable with playing this year.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 29, 2020
There have been concerns with the NCAA even having a football season at this point, with some smaller conferences pushing their seasons to the spring. The Power Five haven’t budged yet, other than canceling non-conference games, but clearly, Farley didn’t want to wait around and find out what would happen.
The tweet above also mentions that Farley, a redshirt junior, will indeed spend the year training for the NFL Draft, meaning a declaration for the 2021 NFL Draft is likely for him.
Farley had a very good sophomore season for the Hokies, showing off the ball skills with four interceptions and 12 passes defensed. He has been ranked very highly in scouting circles, as many analysts have tabbed him as a first-round corner for next year’s draft (The Draft Network currently has him as their ninth overall player).
In limited tape this writer has seen, Caleb Farley shows plenty of potential to find his way into the first round in 2021. Farley is a converted wide receiver, which explains the proficient ball skills. He’s also shown the ability to mirror wide receivers with good short-area quickness, a knack for changing direction, and is physical near the line of scrimmage and at the catch point. He also looks very comfortable in man coverage.
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Injuries are the biggest question mark for Farley, who tore his ACL back in 2017 and missed a couple of games in 2019 with back issues. Still, as mentioned, the potential is sky-high for him, and it will be interesting to monitor his decision and training. He may not be the last to opt out either.