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Ohio State will be without four starters when the team plays Utah in the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, as receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, offensive lineman Nicholas Petit-Frere and defensive lineman Haskell Garrett have all opted out of the game. Wilson is a third-year player for the Buckeyes and a former top-20 recruit in the 2019 class out of Austin, Texas. He chose Ohio State over the Texas Longhorns and as a true freshman had 432 receiving yards and five touchdowns. He put up 118 yards and a TD in his first rivalry game against Michigan. In just eight games during the 2020 season, Wilson had 43 receptions for 723 yards and six touchdowns. He was named first-team All-Big Ten as a sophomore and followed that up with 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Wilson as his third-best receiver in the upcoming draft and a projected first-round pick. ESPN's Todd McShay has him going 20th overall to the Philadelphia Eagles in his latest mock draft. Kiper rates Olave as his fifth-best receiver in the draft after he exceeded expectations while at Ohio State. He was a three-star recruit who turned into one of Ohio State's best receivers as he broke the Buckeyes' career touchdown reception record with 35 in four years. Petit-Frere is ranked as the fifth-best offensive tackle available by Kiper, while Garrett is seen as the 10th-best defensive tackle in this class.
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