AUBURN, Alabama — Auburn offensive tackle Prince Tega Wanogho Jr. will not make the early jump into the NFL Draft.

The left tackle announced Monday he will return for his senior season with the Tigers.

"When I moved to the United State in 2014, my end goal was the NBA," the Nigerian native posted on Instagram Monday afternoon. "That goal has now switched over to the NFL and I am ready to do what it takes to be the best candidate I can be. After a long and thought out process, I’ve decided to return to Auburn for my final season to handle some unfinished business. I can’t say that I didn’t consider leaving early, but after talking with my coaches and family, we have decided that gaining another year of experience can only benefit me in the long run. I am grateful and thankful to my parents, my family, my coaching staff, my teammates and everyone else for helping me get to this point. I look forward to working with the coaching staff and wonderful Auburn family to bring the national championship where it belongs in Auburn, Alabama. War Eagle!"

Wanogho Jr. is the second major Auburn junior to announce they will return for their senior season. Defensive tackle Derrick Brown, a possible first- or second-round pick in the NFL Draft, announced Sunday he will return for his senior season.

Wanogho was projected as a fifth- to seventh-round projection by WalterFootball.com. His return means Auburn will return all five of its starters along the offensive line for the 2019 season.

Wanogho Jr. recorded the best grade among all players in the Tigers' 63-14 victory against Purdue in the Music City Bowl, according to Pro Football Focus. He said Dec. 28 he could not share feedback he received from the NFL. "I'm not really sure right now," Wanogho said at the time. "I'm going to sit with my family and we're going to discuss and try to see where I'm at and we're going to decide."

Auburn's offensive line improved during the final month of the season and especially during the Music City Bowl. Part of the improvement coincided with the re-introduction of Kaleb Kim at center, where he started the season but was replaced midway through the year by Nick Brahms. Wanogho started all season at left tackle.

Three Auburn players have declared early for the draft: quarterback Jarrett Stidham, cornerback Jamel Dean and receiver Darius Slayton.

View this post on Instagram One last time for my AU family??#teamptj???? A post shared by Prince Tega Junior (@prince_tega76) on Jan 7, 2019 at 1:04pm PST

*** Try us FOR FREE for 7 days and get the latest Auburn recruiting and team scoops ***

*** Get FREE Auburn breaking news in your inbox ***