Auburn defensive lineman Jeff Whitaker has been rehabilitating from a knee injury in the hopes of playing this season, but he has opted for a different path. According to al.com, the fourth-year senior will sit out the season with a redshirt year and return to Auburn for a final season in 2014.
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"He's kind of been playing banged up the last year or so anyway," AU coach Gus Malzahn said.
Whitaker underwent surgery on his right knee just before Auburn's season-opening win over Washington State on Aug. 31. While Whitaker is not considered a top NFL prospect, his size (6-4, 310) and athleticism make him an intriguing possibility for the 2015 draft. Malzahn indicated Whitaker also wasn't fully healthy in his junior season last year, which was somewhat short on production.
Whitaker will need a full recovery in the offseason and the best season of his career in 2014 to catch the eyes of NFL scouts, although his chances of doing so might have been nil had he returned this season and played his last year on an ailing knee.
Follow Chase Goodbread on Twitter @ChaseGoodbread.