Penn State senior tailback Austin Scott intends to redshirt this season and play next year, his father said yesterday.

"I spoke with him after the Notre Dame game, and that's what he told me -- that he was redshirting this year," Donahue Scott, Austin Scott's father, said.

According to NCAA regulations, every athlete is allowed four seasons of competition. A "redshirt" can be given once to any player, allowing him or her to practice but not play for an entire season. So, a player could technically be on a team for five years as long as he or she only plays for four seasons.

Austin Scott, who helped lead the Nittany Lions to their first BCS bowl victory, has yet to play this season because of an ankle injury. Though the football program hasn't released any specific information about the injury, both Austin Scott's father and his mother, JoAnn Scott, said his ankle is sprained.

Joe Paterno acknowledged the possibility that Austin Scott might redshirt during last week's press conference and mentioned it again yesterday, saying his ankle gets sore after running three to four plays.

"Until Austin Scott is 100 percent -- and if he isn't 100 percent pretty quickly -- we are going to have to decide to redshirt him," Paterno said.

Austin Scott was reached by phone but would not comment about the situation.

Assistant Athletic Director Jeff Nelson declined to comment last night.

Rumors of Austin Scott redshirting began circulating as early as two years ago but started picking up steam this year, when he injured his knee in the spring and his ankle in the fall. According to Donahue Scott, though, the Parkland High School product first started debating about a possible redshirt at the season's start. Initially, Austin Scott was expected to share carries with fellow senior Tony Hunt.

Austin Scott made a convincing case for more playing time in January, when he scored two touchdowns in the Orange Bowl, running for 110 yards on 26 carries while Hunt watched from the sideline with an

injury. As a result, Austin Scott was expected to see more touches this season.

Now, however, it looks as if that duty will fall upon backup Rodney Kinlaw.

Austin Scott, a former four-star recruit, was considered one of the top 15 tailbacks in the 2003 recruiting class -- and was widely considered the top back in Pennsylvania.

Since then, however, Austin Scott has had a difficult time getting on the field.

Austin Scott finished his rookie season with a team-high 465 yards and five touchdowns on 100 carries. He has only seen 121 rushing attempts since.

"I wasn't shocked," JoAnn Scott said about her son's decision. "I think that it's a great thing. To me, it kind of reminds me of high school. He didn't play his junior year and came out hungry to play his senior year."

JoAnn Scott said her son originally planned on only being at Penn State for four years. She said she believes, overall, her son's decision to redshirt is a good thing -- citing one more year of education, a chance to be the featured back and the ability to rehab his ankle as reasons.