MOBILE, Ala. – Some prospects come to college as four- and five-star recruits, meet those high expectations and move on to professional careers in their sport. Some arrive with those same lofty accolades and never live up to the perceived hype, only to disappear from rosters never to be seen again. And others take time to develop, to grow into roles and eventually contribute to their team before their eligibility runs out.
Within the University of South Alabama football program, there is no doubt that fifth-year senior Jeffery Whatley falls into the latter category.
While it's great that the defensive lineman has emerged for the Jaguars this fall as a standout on the field, if you're not paying attention you may have missed that he has developed as much, if not more, outside of competition.