Missouri running back Tyler Badie, who led the SEC in rushing yards this season, will not play in Wednesday's Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl and has chosen to enter the NFL draft.
Badie, a senior and an All-American, could have returned next year by taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted to all athletes by the NCAA because of the impact of COVID-19 on the 2020 season.
Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz told reporters on Tuesday that it was his decision for Badie to sit out Wednesday's game against Army.
"His heart wants to play in this game, but as coaches, at some point we've got to step back and protect our players for their future," Drinkwitz said. "So it's been my decision that we will not play Tyler Badie in this football game.
"I know that if we asked him to play, he would play and he would take every rep just like he did against Arkansas for over 40 carries. But I cannot do that to that young man. As a program we're not going to do that."
Badie's 268 carries were the most of any Power 5 back this season.
Drinkwitz called Badie a "tremendous competitor."
Drinkwitz said that the decision of whether to play Badie was "weighing on his mind both ways."
"We wanted to take the stress off of him and not put him in a position between having to pick between himself and his future and our football team," Drinkwitz said. "As a captain, I know he wanted to play."
The absence of Badie won't be the only change in Missouri's backfield, however.
Drinkwitz announced that redshirt freshman quarterback Brady Cook will make his first career start on Wednesday.
He replaces Connor Bazelak, who has missed time this season because of a leg injury.