Arizona Wildcats cornerback Jace Whittaker will participate in the 2020 East-West Shrine Bowl.
The all-star showcase for NFL draft prospects announced Whittaker’s addition to the roster Monday.
Excited to have @ArizonaFBall J🅰️CE WHITT🅰️KER (@Willtakher_Jace ) part of the 2020 @Shrine_Bowl ! #ShrineBowl | #BearDown pic.twitter.com/5ih5m4AYr5
— Shrine_Bowl (@Shrine_Bowl) December 9, 2019
Whittaker just completed his final season at Arizona. He split time between cornerback and safety and finished with 55 tackles, six pass breakups, three interceptions and one sack.
Whittaker played safety out of necessity. Cornerback is his natural position, and that’s where pro teams will be evaluating him. Whittaker doesn’t have elite size (5-11, 185) or speed, but he was one of Arizona’s smartest and toughest defenders.
Whittaker returned to Arizona for a fifth season in 2019 after sitting out almost all of ’18 because of injuries. He accumulated 159 tackles, 34 pass breakups and seven interceptions in 49 games.
The 95th East East-West Shrine Bowl is scheduled for Jan. 18 in St. Petersburg, Florida. It will be televised by NFL Network.
At least two other Wildcats are strong candidates for invitations to all-star games: quarterback Khalil Tate and tailback J.J. Taylor.
The NFLPA Collegiate Bowl also is slated for Jan. 18. The Senior Bowl takes place the following week.
