John Michael Schmitz 'respectfully' opts out of Pinstripe Bowl vs. Syracuse before kickoff
John Michael Schmitz, Minnesota’s star center and one of the best offensive linemen in the country, made a surprising announcement Thursday afternoon.
Just about 45 minutes before kickoff of the Pinstripe Bowl, Schmitz announced that he would “Respectfully” be opting out of the bowl game to focus on the Senior Bowl NFL Draft.
Schmitz was injured in last season’s bowl game and wants to prepare for the Senior Bowl next month before entering the draft. With that in mind, it’s hard to blame Schmitz for being careful.
NEWS: #Gophers center John Michael Schmitz has “respectfully” opted out of Pinstripe Bowl, source told @PioneerPress. After being hurt in last year’s bowl game, the future NFL draft pick wants to be ready for Senior Bowl in a month.https://t.co/kZyVamUNf7
— Andy Greder (@andygreder) December 29, 2022
Schmitz was named an All-American for his play this season and was a finalist for the Rimington Award, granted to the top center in college football.
Backup center Nathan Boe is expected to get the starting nod against Syracuse. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. EST at Yankee Stadium in New York. The game will be aired on ESPN.