One of Western Kentucky’s returning starters is leaving the program for his final season of college football.

Redshirt senior center Dennis Edwards recently informed Hilltopper coaches that he’ll transfer upon his graduation later this month, WKU coach Mike Sanford said Wednesday.

Edwards will take advantage of the NCAA’s graduate transfer waiver. The 6-foot-1, 305-pound lineman will be immediately eligible at his next school, where he’ll have one remaining season to play.

“Where that is, I do not know,” Sanford said of Edwards’ transfer destination. “Insofar as everything is done above board, we certainly will support him in wherever he chooses to attend.”

The Toppers conducted spring practice in March and April under the impression Edwards would be part of the squad for the 2018 season. The Snellville, Ga., native took first-team reps throughout the spring at center, a position where he started all 13 games in 2017.

Sanford said he’d “heard some rumblings about some stuff that was going on” during the spring in terms of Edwards potentially transferring.

Edwards finally informed the coaching staff in recent days that he indeed was leaving.

“You do wish that you could’ve gone through spring ball with that information,” Sanford said. “That’s why I alluded to the fact that you hope everything was done the right way in this process.”

Edwards played 41 games the last three seasons, starting 39. He played right guard in 2015 and ’16 as WKU won back-to-back Conference USA championships and back-to-back bowl games.

Edwards moved last season to center, a position that opened after Max Halpin graduated following the 2016 campaign. He was poised to play that spot again this season for the Hilltoppers before instead leaving the program.

Sanford and offensive line coach TJ Woods have some options when looking for a replacement for Edwards in the middle of the line. The head coach mentioned Caleb Etheridge, Seth Joest, Cullen Reynolds and Tyler Witt as candidates to play center this fall.

Of those four players, the redshirt sophomore Witt has the most game experience. The 6-2, 300-pound Joliet, Ill., native broke into the starting lineup at right guard in the middle of the 2017 season and played in all 13 games.

“Tyler Witt is a completely different player this spring as a result of being able to start five, six games last year,” Sanford said.

The redshirt junior Reynolds (6-5, 325 pounds, Madisonville) appeared in eight games in 2016 but missed last season due to injury.

The redshirt sophomore Joest (6-2, 300 pounds, Versailles) appeared once last season. Etheridge (6-2, 300 pounds, Forsyth, Ga.) redshirted in 2017 as a true freshman.

Edwards’ departure means the WKU offensive line will look much younger in 2018 than it has in years past.

Of the O-linemen other than Edwards who received first-team reps in spring, Parker Howell and Miles Pate are redshirt juniors, Witt is a redshirt sophomore and Cole Spencer is a sophomore.

Barring any additions to the roster, the Tops won’t have any senior offensive linemen in 2018.

“The quality of the 15 young men we have is at a very improved level from recruiting that position,” Sanford said. “We’re building it the right way, not looking for quick fixes but looking for long-term players that are going to be here.

“We’re going to have a very veteran line in a year, two years, three years from now because of how things have played out.”