Jacob Young hints he will not return for 2021-22 season

The NCAA announced prior to the start of the regular season that athletes would be granted a free year of eligibility in 2021-22 due to the pandemic.

After suffering a heartbreaking loss to Houston in the Round of 32 on Sunday night, Jacob Young took to Twitter to say goodbye to Rutgers and suggests that he will not be back for year six.

Young began his career at Texas and spent two years with the Longhorns before transferring to Rutgers. He would sit out the 2018-19 season before becoming an important part of the Scarlet Knights as a junior.

Last season, Young averaged 8.5 points in 21 minutes per game. As a senior, Young took his game to the next level. He averaged 14.4 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per contest. Young quickly turned into an elite defender on the perimeter and possessed end-to-end speed that was hard to match.

Rutgers went 34-21 over the last two years with Young, including a combined 21-19 record in Big Ten play. Prior to Young stepping on the floor, the Scarlet Knights had a total of 13 Big Ten wins under Steve Pikiell.

Young will be remembered for two of the biggest plays over the last two years in must-win games. Last year it was the overtime dunk against Purdue and this year it was the steal at half court in Minnesota. Young had a knack for making big plays in big games and this his energy was contagious for the Scarlet Knights.

Young’s decision should not be a surprise. He is a fifth-year senior and at 23 years old is expected to have some opportunities to play professionally, especially overseas.

Rutgers’ nation will now wait on decisions from seniors Geo Baker and Myles Johnson. After the game Baker was asked about his future and he replied, “No, honestly I haven’t really thought about that.”