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Auburn receiver Duke Williams undecided on NFL future

Fresh off a tough Iron Bowl loss to rival Alabama, Auburn finds itself playing a waiting game prior to finding out its bowl destination on Sunday.

For wide receiver, D'haquille "Duke" Williams, the time off also allows him to think about the decision that awaits him after the season -- whether or not he will declare early for the 2015 NFL Draft. For the most part, however, he's holding off on thinking too hard about making the jump to the pros.



"We still got (the rest of the) season ahead of us," Williams told the The Decatur Daily. "We still got a bowl game; (the draft) really hasn't been on my mind yet.

"When that time comes ... I'll make the decision."

Williams, 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, leads Auburn in receptions, yards and receiving touchdowns after transferring to the school from Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College prior to spring football. He recorded four games of 100 yards or more receiving this season but was limited by a sprained right MCL that caused him to miss two games late in the year.

In the Iron Bowl, he proved he was healthy and why he is already on the radar of NFL scouts, catching seven balls for 121 yards as one of the top players on the field for the Tigers.

As the Daily notes, the school could pay for loss-of-value insurance for the wideout if Williams decides to return to the Plains for his senior season. Several other SEC programs have done that for top prospects.

"I'm not really focused on that right now," Williams added. "I'm just focused on getting better and learning from our mistakes. All I can do is just take it one day at a time."



Fellow Tigers receiver Sammie Coates also faces a decision as to whether or not to come back for another year in coach Gus Malzahn's high-powered offense.

If Williams does decide to make Auburn's bowl destination his final game in a blue and orange uniform, he'll at least leave fans with some quality performances throughout 2014 and a ridiculous highlight reel catch from spring practice.

You can follow Bryan Fischer on Twitter at @BryanDFischer.