Rashawn Slater’s announcement that he would be opting out of a football season this academic year was a tough pill to swallow for Northwestern fans. Expected, perhaps, but still tough nonetheless. After an impressive three-year career, capped by a stellar junior campaign, the left tackle had little left to prove and plenty to risk playing a season just weeks before the NFL combine and draft.
The Wildcats will certainly miss Slater, not just for his dominance on the field, but as a team leader as well. The Sugar Land, Texas, product now becomes the second offseason departure from the 2019 offensive line, following the graduation of center Jared Thomas.