What Can Auburn Expect from Former 5-Star DE Byron Cowart in 2016?

AUBURN, Ala. — No one player personifies the shifting expectations around Auburn football more than Byron Cowart.

The sophomore defensive end, a unanimous top-five recruit who held the top overall spot at ESPN and Rivals, was projected to be a key figure in the Tigers' 2015 defense. Auburn needed immediate help on the edge after falling flat in that area in 2014.

But while Auburn dropped from preseason title contender to a team that entered the unheralded Birmingham Bowl with a 6-6 record, the buzz around Cowart died down tremendously.

He didn't record a single sack or tackle for loss in 2015. Six total tackles and six quarterback hurries—four of them in the final three games of the year—were the only non-zero numbers on his season stat line, per CFBStats.com.

"He struggled last year a little bit," senior defensive tackle Montravius Adams said earlier this month. "At the end of the season, he did better."

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Now, as Auburn looks to fly under the radar as a program heading into a make-or-break 2016 campaign, Cowart is also adjusting to a different kind of preseason outlook.

Cowart no longer has to be the guy for the Auburn defense. He is now one of the guys.

That change in designation is important for Cowart and the expectations surrounding him. When Carl Lawson went down with an early-season injury last fall, Auburn had to move veteran linebacker Cassanova McKinzy to "Buck" defensive end.

The line had razor-thin depth, especially with Cowart learning to adjust to the college game and the trademark tough coaching of defensive line assistant Rodney Garner.

"I say [defensive linemen] meet Rodney Garner when they're a recruit, but when they get here, that's 'Coach G,'" Adams said. "You never know if you can get used to it. Everybody still gets it like everyone else."

That includes Auburn's highest-rated signing in the Malzahn era, who let his frustrations boil over in some later-deleted tweets at the end of last August.

"[I'm] being penalized because I was [the] No. 1 player, but I'm struggling, I don't care about the stars," Cowart tweeted, via Michael Niziolek of the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. "So why when I struggle its thrown in my face? How about help me, huh? I came in humble ready to learn, man, not bragging and flashy. I just wanna learn."

Cowart's snaps and production slightly improved toward the end of the season, but it was far from even the most modest expectations of him on a thin Auburn defensive line that underwhelmed as a whole.

That shouldn't be the case for Auburn in 2016—at least from a depth perspective.

Lawson decided to return to school instead of heading to the NFL early, along with Adams. The Tigers also returned names such as Dontavius Russell, Andrew Williams and Devaroe Lawrence for the upcoming season.

Then there's the 2016 recruiting class, which included seven defensive linemen, including 4-star ends Marlon Davidson and Paul James, both of whom are currently going through spring practices. Five-star tackle Derrick Brown is set to take on a big role from day one, too.

Allie Davison of Rivals summed up Auburn's blue-chip-heavy defensive line depth quite well on national signing day last month:

With all those pieces in place for the upcoming season, some of the pressure has been taken from Cowart on what is now a deep defensive line.

"Every spring since I've been here, we've been short on D-linemen, so I've been tired," Lawson said last week. "This spring, I haven't been really tired, and that's a good thing."

By the time Auburn starts the 2016 season, Cowart will have a complete offseason of preparation behind him and a year of experience at the collegiate level.

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According to his teammates, he made quite an offseason impression even before spring camp started. Adams called him the most improved defensive lineman in winter workouts, while Lawrence spoke highly of his overall progress.

"It was different last year," Lawrence said. "But this year he's grown up. You can see the growth in him. He handled it well. He's going to be a good football player."

Cowart's work has already caught the eye of new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele, who said he can see the high potential of the 6'4", 250-pound defensive end who has been clocked at a 4.6 in the 40-yard dash, as noted by 247Sports.

"Byron Cowart is a young guy, but he's starting to assert himself," Steele said. "Being a physically dominant player, being physical, playing with great effort—he's bought into that. Obviously we are in college, not NFL, so the technique part of the development of things is an ongoing process."

On paper, Cowart has the strength and the size to excel at the traditional defensive end spot for Steele's defense. He was able to flash his speed several times last season, including his first game as a college player:

And even though Auburn has several options to choose from along the defensive line in 2016, that doesn't mean Cowart is without expectations. He has been a popular pick as a potential breakout player, and Bleacher Report lead SEC writer Barrett Sallee said he was poised to be a star this spring:

"

Byron Cowart is being counted on to be a difference-maker up front for Auburn's new-look defense under coordinator Kevin Steele, and he has the running mates to help him out. ... 

Cowart has the size to be a force against the run, but also the speed to be either a force off the edge or someone who drops down inside in obvious pass-rushing situations to get more speed on the field.

"

Cowart has the tools and the opportunity to become a dangerous force opposite Lawson on a line that could start nothing but former 5-stars. For Auburn, Cowart's cracking double digits in tackles for loss and getting at least five sacks would make him one of the most productive defensive linemen of the last few seasons.

In 2016, the Tigers should expect a more mature, confident and polished Cowart to push everyone around him for a key role on the defense.

Both on and off the field, Cowart's coaches and teammates are already seeing a difference in the former recruiting superstar.

"He's getting better as a player and as a person," Adams said. "Just coming from his struggles last year a little bit, and at the end of the season, he started picking it up. ... He's trying to run with it."

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Recruit ratings courtesy of 247Sports.

Justin Ferguson is a National College Football Analyst at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.