Ohio State receiver Garrett Wilson opts out of Rose Bowl, declares for NFL draft

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Ohio State star receiver Garrett Wilson announced on Monday that he will not play in the Rose Bowl and will enter the upcoming NFL draft.

“These last three years have been unforgettable and becoming a Buckeye has been the single greatest decision of my life,” he wrote in a graphic shared on Twitter.

Wilson is the Buckeyes’ first draft-eligible player to publicly opt out of the New Year's Day bowl game against Utah.

A junior who is seen as a possible first-round selection in the draft in April, Wilson caught 70 passes for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns during the regular season.

With his absence this week, the Buckeyes could turn to sophomore Julian Fleming to fill out their starting lineup of receivers.

Fleming replaced Wilson as one of the outside receivers when he was in concussion protocol for a Nov. 6 game at Nebraska.

Fellow star receiver Chris Olave has been practicing ahead of the Rose Bowl, according to images shared on Ohio State's social media accounts. Olave is a senior and also eligible to declare for the draft.

Joey Kaufman covers Ohio State football for The Columbus Dispatch. Contact him at jkaufman@dispatch.com or on Twitter @joeyrkaufman.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State's Garrett Wilson declares for draft, opts out of Rose Bowl