RB Turner becomes first Michigan player to opt out of 2020 season

By Ashley Bastock / The Blade
Tue, 11 Aug 2020 17:56:31 GMT

ANN ARBOR — Michigan running back Christian Turner announced he was opting out of the 2020 season Tuesday afternoon, becoming the first known Michigan player to do so publicly.

Turner posted his decision on Twitter, writing “I have decided to opt out of the season due to Covid 19.”

I have decided to opt out of the season due to Covid 19.
— CT. (@_ChrisTurner28) August 11, 2020

Turner, a rising redshirt sophomore, has appeared in 13 career games. Ten of those appearances came in 2019, and he got reps at running back in six out of those 10.

This past season, Turner had 171 rushing yards on 44 carries with one touchdown. He recorded 11 carries in a single game twice, rushing for 49 yards against Middle Tennessee and 48 yards against Rutgers. He scored his lone touchdown of the year against the Scarlet Knights.

The 5-11, 230-pound Georgia native would have been competing for playing time in one of the deepest running back units Jim Harbaugh has had since he arrived to Ann Arbor. Along with returning last year’s top two rushers in Zach Charbonnet and Hassan Haskins, Michigan also returns Chris Evans, who was the No. 2 option in 2018 behind Karan Higdon and last year served a one-year, academic-related suspension. The Wolverines also add true freshman Blake Corum, a four-star prospect and their highest-rated offensive recruit in the 2020 class.

Turner’s move to opt out came as an announcement on the future of the Big Ten’s 2020 season is expected Tuesday. It also came one day after head coach Jim Harbaugh released a statement advocating for a season this fall.

Turner is the 14th Big Ten player to opt out, a list that includes stars Rashod Bateman (Minnesota), Micah Parsons (Penn State), and Rondale Moore (Purdue).

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