Big 12 Football: 3 most impactful opt-outs for the 2020 season

3) Most impactful Big 12 football opt outs: S Jonathan Alexander

The Kansas State Wildcats could dearly miss one of their most productive returning defensive backs on this year’s squad, with the sizable 6-foot-2 and 210 pound senior safety Jonathan Alexander opting out of the 2020 season. Alexander and West Virginia safety Kerry Martin Jr. are the most impactful defensive back opt outs in general in the Big 12 thus far.

Kansas State’s secondary was one of the stronger parts of one of the more underrated teams in the Big 12 last season. And Kansas State had a defensive backfield that could very well be considered slept on this fall. But losing Alexander at one of the safety spots is clearly going to hurt how this group fairs in 2020.

What Alexander was set to bring back for Kansas State this fall was 25 total tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, two pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery (for which he returned for a touchdown). Alexander opted out of the 2020 season with a post on his Twitter timeline a little more than a month ago, following up with some big declarations for 2021.

https://twitter.com/CatchaplayJ/status/1291879594581200906

The Wildcats have a pretty difficult matchup by Group of Five considerations in their season opener this weekend, against the Arkansas State Red Wolves out of the Sun Belt. And Kansas State has the disadvantage of facing a team in Arkansas State that already opened up their 2020 season against quality opposition, when they fell short last weekend against the Memphis Tigers.