On Wednesday, Gophers wide receiver Rashod Bateman announced his intention to opt out for the rest of the 2020 season, ending his collegiate career at Minnesota and turning his focus toward the 2021 NFL Draft.

"Minnesota has changed me forever and the lessons I learned in the Row The Boat culture will stay with me for the rest of my life," Bateman said in a Tweet. "There is no better coach to play for in the nation than Coach Fleck and I appreciate everything he has done for me. I can't thank my coaches enough for always supporting me and for always pushing me to change my best each day."

In August, Bateman originally opted out due to personal health concerns surrounding COVID-19, but opted back in during September after the Big Ten announced it's intentions to have a football season.

Minnesota paused team activities on Tuesday after nine student-athletes and six staff members tested positive for COVID-19. That snowballed into Saturday's game with Wisconsin being canceled when three additional players and more staff members testing positive.

He leads the team this season with 472 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. He finished his career at Minnesota ranked 6th all-time in receptions with 147 and tallied 2,395 yards.