Auburn Football: Position-by-Position Preview of Tigers' 2015 Roster
Auburn's offseason of recruiting and transfers—both into and out of the Plains—has calmed down, and head coach Gus Malzahn appears to have his roster set for the 2015 campaign.
The Tigers are looking to rebound from a disappointing 8-5 year that started with dreams of returning to the national championship race but ended in heartbreak at the Outback Bowl.
There are plenty of new faces who dot the depth chart this spring as Auburn returns the fifth-fewest lettermen in all of college football, according to Phil Steele's College Football Preview.
Still, there is plenty of hope for new stars to break out alongside returning veterans in Auburn's explosive offense and new-look defense.
Here is a position-by-position look at the major names on Auburn's roster for the 2015 season. Let us hear your thoughts on this roster and your expectations for the upcoming schedule in the comments below.
Quarterbacks
1 of 8
After two seasons of limited work off the bench, junior Jeremy Johnson is now getting his time to shine in Auburn's offense. Johnson "competed" for the starting quarterback job in the spring, but Malzahn announced the inevitable two days after the Tigers' annual A-Day Game.
The 6'5", 240-pound Johnson will bring a more polished passing attack than what Auburn had in the last two seasons with the dynamic Nick Marshall. While he wasn't named the starter until after spring practices, Johnson said he practiced like he was the offense's No. 1 guy.
"I feel like it's my team," Johnson told AL.com's Joel A. Erickson in April. "I'm just trying to become the best leader I can become."
Behind Johnson, Auburn has a pair of untested backups in redshirt freshman Sean White and true freshman Tyler Queen. White, a former 4-star recruit, was Johnson's biggest competition for the starting job this offseason and should get some opportunities to see the field in 2015.
Running Backs
2 of 8
Auburn has a new thunder-and-lightning combo at running back this season after Cameron Artis-Payne and Corey Grant graduated from the Plains.
Junior Jovon Robinson is back in Auburn after his wild journey from 2012 signee to ineligibility to JUCO stardom. While he didn't get a lot of carries on A-Day, Robinson is the perfect fit to replace Artis-Payne as Auburn's downhill, between-the-tackles rusher.
Sophomore Roc Thomas should get more touches in 2015 after showing some flashes of his big-play potential last season. Depending on how well he does in fall camp, Thomas could take over as the feature back at Auburn because of his all-around skill set.
Behind Robinson and Thomas is sophomore Peyton Barber, who has gotten rave reviews from coaches and teammates ever since he stepped foot onto campus during his redshirt 2013 season. And with his speed and athleticism, true freshman Kerryon Johnson might have a chance to play a role in the offense behind the three returning backs.
Wide Receivers, Tight Ends and H-Backs
3 of 8
D'haquille Williams made the surprising decision to come back to Auburn after his standout 2014 season. The rangy senior will be the clear-cut superstar again, especially with Johnson taking the snaps this season for the Tigers.
Now the question for Auburn will be who helps him in the wake of Sammie Coates' departure to the NFL. Early candidates to become the Tigers' new vertical threat on the opposite side of Williams are senior Ricardo Louis—who already has a knack for deep passes—and junior Tony Stevens.
Other names who will be in the receiver rotation this season include sure-handed junior Marcus Davis and big-play senior Melvin Ray. Speedy redshirt freshman Stanton Truitt is back after an early-season injury stopped his promising start to 2014, while redshirt freshman Myron Burton Jr., true freshman Darius Slayton and JUCO transfer Jason Smith fill out the group.
Tight end and H-back have primarily been the same player the last two seasons. However, redshirt freshman Kamryn Pettway looks to be the blocking specialist Auburn wants at H-back, while true freshman Chandler Cox could fit more as a receiving tight end after his breakout A-Day performance. Also watch out for redshirt freshman Chris Laye, a more traditional tight end.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Offensive Linemen
4 of 8
The names at tackle should be familiar for Auburn this fall. Junior Shon Coleman had a disappointing 2014 season on the left side, his first as a starter, due to struggles in pass protection. A full offseason of practice should help him have a better outcome in 2015.
Over on the right side, senior Avery Young decided to come back to the Tigers for one more season and should have his starting spot locked down. Backups at tackle include junior Robert Leff, junior Will Adams and true freshman Bailey Sharp.
The interior of the line looks different heading into the fall, but Auburn will be glad to see former freshman All-American Alex Kozan back at left guard after missing all of 2014. At right guard, sophomore Braden Smith is the top candidate after moving inside from tackle, where he wowed coaches with his massive frame (6'6", 286 lbs) and elite skills last season. Reserves on the inside should be junior Devonte Danzey and sophomore Deon Mix.
Finally, the Tigers must replace a four-year starter in Reese Dismukes at center. While senior Xavier Dampeer was the presumed offseason favorite, the coaching staff moved sophomore and former Ole Miss transfer Austin Golson ahead of his first season of eligibility at Auburn. Golson is now the front-runner, and the Tigers have two options to rely on at a crucial position.
Defensive Linemen
5 of 8
New defensive coordinator Will Muschamp's system moves some names around the depth chart, but one who should stay locked in his familiar spot is defensive tackle Montravius Adams. The junior is comfortable rushing the passer or stopping the run, and he could be moved around a three-man front this season.
In addition to Adams, redshirt freshman Dontavius Russell had a breakout spring at defensive tackle and could be in line for a starting job. The same goes for junior college transfer Maurice Smith and junior Devaroe Lawrence. True freshman tackle Jauntavius Johnson will most likely redshirt 2015 after tearing his ACL late last year.
The depth at defensive end took a major hit when Auburn dismissed junior Elijah Daniel from the program after he was charged with theft and burglary. Senior DaVonte Lambert and junior Gimel President appear to be the leaders at true defensive end, but all that could change over the next few months.
Why? Because 5-star Byron Cowart, one of the best overall recruits in the country (No. 3), fits perfectly as a true defensive end in Muschamp's defense. Cowart should play early and often for an Auburn defensive line that struggled to challenge any top offense last season.
Bucks and Linebackers
6 of 8
Carl Lawson is back on the field for Auburn after missing the entire 2014 season because of a knee injury. Bigger, faster and stronger after a long rehab, Lawson (6'2", 257 lbs) is the leader at the "Buck" hybrid position in the Muschamp system, which can have a player stand up on the edge for the pass rush or put a hand on the ground as more of a defensive lineman.
Behind Lawson, Auburn worked out sophomores Cameron Toney and Raashed Kennion at the position but could use freshmen such as Justin Thornton or Jeffrey Holland there.
At linebacker, seniors Kris Frost and Cassanova McKinzy will reunite their tandem down the middle of the field—this time with some help instead of being alone in a 4-2-5 system. Sophomore Tre' Williams should get major minutes this season after proving himself a reliable linebacker in 2014.
The Sam linebacker position is in flux after Derrick Moncrief's decision to transfer from the program. Senior Justin Garrett could be the man to replace Moncrief after being constantly moved around the defense during his time at Auburn. Junior Javiere Mitchell and redshirt freshman Deshaun Davis look to be parts of the ever-changing rotation at linebacker this fall.
Defensive Backs
7 of 8
When describing the state of Auburn's secondary last week, new defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson told reporters it was "thin in the right way."
It's definitely thin. Auburn has lost five defensive backs to transfers in 2015 alone.
Those remaining include senior cornerbacks Jonathan Jones and Josh Holsey, who have struggled with injuries during their Auburn careers. The Tigers also have former All-Big Ten cornerback Blake Countess, who transferred from Michigan to Auburn and has the ability to start from Day 1 on the Plains. Sophomore Stephen Roberts will be another name to watch at the position this fall.
At safety, the Tigers get a boost from sophomore Tray Matthews, a transfer from Georgia who sat out the 2014 season because of NCAA rules.
He stood out in spring practices, per AL.com's Joel A. Erickson, and should be penciled in as a starter. Junior Johnathan "Rudy" Ford will return as a starter at safety, and true freshman Tim Irvin looks like the ideal nickelback for the defense. Auburn also has a few incoming defensive backs, such as Jordan Colbert and Carlton Davis, who could play early this season.
Specialists
8 of 8
Sophomore Daniel Carlson will start at kicker for the Tigers this season after converting 18 of his 24 attempts last season. He was also perfect on extra points and should continue to improve as a special teams weapon over the next couple of seasons.
With Jimmy Hutchinson transferring from the team, Carlson went up against a few walk-ons for the punter job this spring—a position he held most of the time in 2014. But the Tigers are hoping true freshman Ian Shannon has the ability to win the job this fall and take some of the load off the talented Carlson, per the Ledger-Enquirer's Ryan Black.
At returner, Ricardo Louis and Roc Thomas both logged returns in the kicking game last season and will continue to compete with Rudy Ford for the starting jobs there. Punt returning is a little trickier, with Marcus Davis emerging as the top man this spring with Stephen Roberts and Jason Smith also getting reps there, per the Anniston Star's Daniel Carson.
For a true wild card in special teams, look out for Kerryon Johnson, someone who coaches know made some big plays on kick returns in high school. Like Thomas last season, he could be a secret weapon in 2015.
Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
Justin Ferguson is an on-call college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
