Auburn Football: The Top 10 Players for the 2012 Season

Who is the most important player on this Auburn Tigers football team?

The Tigers return 16 starters from a year ago, including nine on the defensive side of the ball. There are many questions on the defense, playmakers that need to step up on offense and a quarterback controversy.

With many positions up for grabs, the for sure starters may have to take their game to another level for this to be a successful season for a young Auburn team. But then again, some of the younger guys will have to hold their own as well and pick up some of the slack.

As we inch that much closer to September, here are the top 10 most important players for the 2012 Auburn Tigers football season.

10. Safety: Erique Florence

Florence was one of the top recruits for Auburn in the 2011 class and he showed a little bit of that potential his true-freshman year. He finished the season with 23 tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack and a broken up pass.

Now, he will be asked to grow up much quicker as he is expected to take over for Neiko Thorpe. Florence went from learning from one of the more productive defensive players to trying to fill his shoes in one year.

The sophomore will also have even more on his plate having to understand the ropes of a new defensive coordinator and new position coach. He has the size, hitting ability and football instincts to get the job done; he just has to put everything together in only a couple months of practice.

9. Center: Reese Dismukes

Reese Dismukes was a highly recruited center in the 2011 class and quickly paid off for the Tigers last season. He became the first true-freshman to ever start at the center position in school history. He started every game last year and was a huge reason for the Tigers success in the ground game. Although he is only a sophomore, he proved he deserves to be the starter on this team.

He is a leader on the football field and a very aggressive and strong blocker up front. He was also recently named to the Rimington Award watch list which goes to the best center in the country.

8. Linebacker: Jake Holland

Holland didn't exactly impress anybody last season. Sure, he had two interceptions and 43 tackles, but he wasn't consistent at all and was battling injuries throughout the year. Now with Eltoro Freeman no longer on the roster, Holland will take over the middle linebacker position all by himself. He will have to quickly improve his play and stay healthy considering he will be the one calling the signals in the middle of the defense.

7. Cornerback: Jermaine Whitehead

While the entire Auburn defense remains a huge question mark, one of the bright spots in the secondary is cornerback Jermaine Whitehead. He played in all 13 games as a true-freshman and finished with 31 tackles, an interception and broke up three passes. While those numbers don't jump off the charts, it is his versatility that stands out to the Auburn coaches the most. He has the ability to play the cornerback, safety or nickel back positions.

Look for Whitehead to get a lot of attention this season and an expanded role, as he is quickly becoming one of the more valuable players on this side of the ball.

6. Left Tackle: Greg Robinson

Robinson is only a redshirt freshman, but he will quickly be thrown into the fire at the left tackle position. He has terrific size at 6'5" 305 pounds, great footwork, and was able to handle anything thrown at him at the high school level. We will quickly see what this former 4-star recruit is made of as he will start Week 1 against the Clemson Tigers in that huge matchup.

Robinson will also have a little more added pressure on him, considering he will be protecting the blindside of a young quarterback.

5. Wide Receiver: Emory Blake

Other than senior wide receiver Emory Blake, can you name somebody on this team that you trust at the position?

Behind Blake's 36 receptions last season, the second leading receiver was a running back in Onterio McCalebb. The senior receiver is the most proven out of the bunch and has a great skill set at 6'1", with above average speed.

Blake will once again be the No. 1 option at the receiver position and will likely end up having his best season yet with an inexperienced quarterback taking over this offense.

4. Running Back: Onterio McCalebb

In 2010 it was Cam Newton running the show, then in 2011, it was Michael Dyer. Now Onterio McCalebb will have an even greater chance to prove himself with both of those players moving on elsewhere. But let's not get things confused, McCalebb has had his fair share of production the last three seasons, rushing for over 2,000 yards and scoring 21 total touchdowns.

The senior running back may not be an every down back or somebody who can carry this football team by himself, but he is extremely fast and is a big play waiting to happen. Auburn desperately needs playmakers on this football team, and McCalebb is exactly what the doctor ordered.

3. Defensive End: Corey Lemonier

Auburn was horrible defensively last season, and a lot of that was because of a sub-par pass rush. The 22 sacks last season was the fewest the Tigers have had since the 2008 season. One of the more consistent pass rushers on this team is defensive end Corey Lemonier, who finished the year with 9.5 sacks, 15 quarterback hurries and five forced fumbles.

Lemonier is an absolute beast with his combination of size and speed. He is one of the more important players on this team and is certainly a key to an improving defense.

2. Tight End: Philip Lutzenkirchen

Last season, Auburn had one of the worst passing games in the country. Some of that can be blamed on poor quarterback play, but some of it has to do with lack of playmakers at the receiver position.

Lutzenkirchen is one of the better tight ends in the SEC conference. He caught 24 passes last season for 238 yards and seven touchdowns. He is a huge target at 6'4", 264 pounds and is great at picking up yards after the catch.

As the tight end enters his senior season, you can expect for him to have his most productive year yet as he is the best receiver this team has at the moment.

1. Quarterback: Kiehl Frazier

A decision has not been made yet on who the starting quarterback for Auburn is going to be, but if Auburn was smart, it would be sophomore Kiehl Frazier. He has the skill set to ignite this offense and gives them the best chance to win right now. Clint Moseley wasn't exactly lighting things up last year, and true-freshman Zeke Pike, is well, a true-freshman. 

Frazier is an exciting player who can kill you with both his arms and legs. It's way too early to begin comparing him to Cam Newton, but he could bring that energy to this football team and greatly improve an offense that was ranked 70th in the country a year ago.