In this week’s showcase college football game between No. 18 Michigan and No. 21 Minnesota, the biggest star on the field will be debuting a new number. It’s a change that looks cosmetic on the surface, but channels deep into the soul of one of the country’s elite players as he confronts the complications of 2020.
Minnesota junior Rashod Bateman has traded the No. 13 he wore in emerging as the Big Ten’s best receiver for No. 0, which the NCAA is allowing players to wear for the first time this season.