Ole Miss senior center Eli Johnson to opt out of 2020 college football season
OXFORD, Miss. — There aren't many Ole Miss athletes for whom the COVID-19 pandemic have hit closer to home than center Eli Johnson. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that he's the first Ole Miss football player to opt out of the 2020 season.
Johnson announced on Twitter on Sunday evening that he will not play in 2020. A senior from Lafayette County High School in Oxford who started all 12 games last season, Johnson said that he plans to stay enrolled at Ole Miss and complete his master's degree.
Johnson's father David contracted COVID-19 in March. David, who reports on Ole Miss recruiting and football for 247 Sports, was hospitalized and put on a ventilator for weeks before coming off the ventilator later in the summer.
As of Sunday evening, Johnson is the only Ole Miss football player who has publicly announced to opt out of the 2020 season.
Without Johnson, Ole Miss still returns three offensive linemen who earned significant reps last season. Tackle Nick Broeker and guards Ben Brown and Royce Newman are all expected to be back in 2020.
Ole Miss opens up its 2020 fall practice schedule on Monday. The Rebels' first game of the season is scheduled for Sept. 26.
Contact Nick Suss at 601-408-2674 or nsuss@gannett.com. Follow @nicksuss on Twitter.