The Nebraska football program will be thinner at wide receiver entering 2020 with pass catch Darien Chace announcing he will be entering the NCAA transfer portal. Chase announced his decision with a statement on social media.
In the statement, Chase announced that he is making the decision to transfer closer to home with his family and revealed he has been struggling with mental health issues and depression.
“This past seven months at Nebraska has been amazing, the coaches and players all welcomed me in like family and I will forever be grateful especially to Coach Frost for believing in me from the start,” Chase wrote on Twitter.
“I’ve lost a lot of family members and I have struggled with mental health and depression for the past 6 or 7 years and these events put me in a place I can never fall to again, and it is the best decision for me and my family for me to transfer closer to home. This decision has been the hardest I’ve ever had to make because it has nothing to do with the program or football, and there is truly no place like Nebraska, and I’ll always love GBR and all the love I’ve gotten just in the past year.”
Thank you for all the love and support especially from my teammates and coaches, but it’s time to move on to the next chapter of my life. GBR forever 🖤 pic.twitter.com/9LL59Cp9QP
— ✖️ Darien Chase ✖️ (@chasedariem) February 15, 2020
The wide receiver initially chose Nebraska over offers from Washington, Oregon, Oregon State, Utah and Boise State.
Chase saw limited action during his true freshman season and will have the opportunity to take a redshirt year. As a prospect, Chase was a three-star signee to the Cornhuskers Class of 2019. Chase was ranked as the No. 3 prospect in the state of Washington.
It’s great to know that the team and coaching staff were supportive, and it’s also great to see a young player acknowledge the importance of mental health. We wish Chase all of the best in the next chapter of his career.