Wake Forest star receiver Sage Surratt opts out of season to prepare for NFL Draft

Sage Surratt’s Wake Forest football career has ended. The Deacons’ star receiver is opting out of the upcoming football season and will begin preparing for the NFL draft. Surratt, a redshirt junior, made the announcement on Twitter this morning.

Surratt’s brother, Chazz, is a senior linebacker at North Carolina. There has been no indication that Chazz will opt out of the season.

Sage Surratt’s departure leaves the Deacons without an established option at any wide receiver position — Donavon Greene stood out late last season but played only in the final four games, Donald Stewart is a grad transfer from Stanford who has 14 catches in his career, and A.T. Perry had four catches for 62 yards and a touchdown last season as a redshirt freshman.

It’s unclear whether Surratt is the scholarship player Coach Dave Clawson mentioned Friday as having opted out of the season, or whether another player is also out.

“I have spoken with Sage, and our program supports his decision regarding the upcoming season, COVID-19 and to prepare for the 2021 NFL draft,” Clawson said through a team spokesman. “I told him that our staff and his teammates are always here for him. Sage will always be a Deacon.”

Surratt is slated to graduate in December with a degree in economics.

Surratt landed on three preseason watch lists for college football awards — the Biletnikoff (top receiver), Maxwell (top all-around player) and Wuerffel (community service and leadership on and off the field). He was an All-ACC selection and third-team All-America pick by Athlon last season.

He’s the fourth key ACC player, the first to play offense, to opt out. The others have been Virginia Tech cornerback Caleb Farley, Miami defensive end Gregory Rousseau and Pittsburgh defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman. Surratt is the second star receiver nationally to opt out, along with Rashod Bateman of Minnesota.

Surratt, one of the ACC’s premier playmakers, is a 6-3, 215-pounder who had 66 catches for 1,001 yards and 11 touchdowns in nine games last season. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury at Virginia Tech and missed the final four games.

Surratt’s breakout season featured a touchdown catch in each of the first six games, culminating with a three-touchdown performance against Louisville.

After redshirting in 2017, Surratt had 41 catches for 581 yards and four touchdowns in 2018 — including a one-handed catch that sparked the Deacons’ win at N.C. State in Jamie Newman’s first start — and a touchdown in the Birmingham Bowl.

Though his Deacons career was only two seasons (22 games), Surratt is tied for ninth in career receiving touchdowns (15). His 1,000-yard season a year ago was only the sixth in program history.

Surratt, from Lincolnton, went to Wake Forest after a remarkable high school career that saw him net the Associated Press’ Male Athlete of the Year designation in football and boys basketball in his senior year for North Carolina. He is the state’s all-time career record holder for catches (366), receiving yards (5,926) and receiving touchdowns (80) and ended his basketball career as the state’s second-leading scorer (2,951 points).

This story was originally published August 19, 2020 at 1:04 PM.