Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz was waiting to make the announcement. The Des Moines Register reports that Ferentz was waiting for paperwork to be finalized before officially announcing that two Iowa Hawkeye football players are opting out of the upcoming season that is scheduled to kick off October 24th.

The Register reports that those players are fourth year linebacker Djimon Colbert and second year defensive lineman Taajhir McCall. Neither will play for Iowa or participate in any team activities during the upcoming season. The University made the official announcement yesterday evening just after 5 p.m. Both players listed concerns over COVID-19 as their reason for sitting out the schedule.

The loss of lineback Colbert is significant for Iowa. The Register reports that he is a two year starter at weak-side linebacker. He has 23 career starts and 113 tackles in his Iowa career. He was expected to play a significant role even though he was being pushed by veteran Nick Niemann and up and coming linebacker Jack Campbell. The University says that Colbert is in good standing at the school and can return to the Hawkeyes in 2021.

The Register reports that not a lot is known about McCall. The native of Pensacola, Florida redshirted last season. Players opting out of the season do not lose their athletic scholarship.

The Register reports that 22 Iowa football players are scheduled to meet with the Iowa media today and Wednesday via Zoom calls. The Hawkeyes open up their season on the road at Purdue on the 24th.

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