Auburn Football: Depth-Chart Analysis, Complete 2015 Preview and Predictions
After exceeding all expectations in 2013 and making it to the national championship game, Auburn entered 2014 with a No. 6 preseason AP poll ranking and huge amounts of title hype.
Auburn fell well short of that mark, going 8-5 last season and dropping four of its last five games.
One would probably expect Auburn to start the ensuing campaign with tempered projections, especially with new starters at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, H-back, center, offensive guard, defensive tackle, defensive end, cornerback and safety.
But this is Auburn under Gus Malzahn, where average expectations are routinely ignored.
Auburn will enter the 2015 season against Louisville in the Georgia Dome with the same No. 6 preseason ranking and some media picks to clinch a spot in the second College Football Playoff. Malzahn's explosive offense is set to take a different kind of look this fall, while the defense is making a high-profile transition to new leadership.
Less than two weeks away from the kickoff of the new season, here is Bleacher Report's complete preview of Auburn's biggest names and games for 2015.
Coaches
| Head Coach | Gus Malzahn | 3 |
| Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks | Rhett Lashlee | 3 |
| Defensive Coordinator | Will Muschamp | 1 |
| Associate Head Coach/Defensive Line | Rodney Garner | 3 |
| Co-Offensive Coordinator/Receivers | Dameyune Craig | 3 |
| Special Teams/Tight Ends | Scott Fountain | 3 |
| Running Backs | Tim Horton | 3 |
| Offensive Line | J.B. Grimes | 3 |
| Linebackers | Lance Thompson | 1 |
| Defensive Backs | Travaris Robinson | 1 |
| Strength and Conditioning | Ryan Russell | 3 |
While Malzahn's offensive coaching staff stays intact for a third straight season, the major headline of the offseason was the change of command on defense.
In fact, the biggest change happened even before the Tigers closed the 2014 season. Malzahn fired Ellis Johnson and hired former Florida head coach and Auburn assistant Will Muschamp.
Since Muschamp's first full season as the defensive coordinator at Texas—the job he took right after he left Auburn—his defenses have all finished in the top 10 nationally. By comparison, Auburn's best performance in that timespan came in the national championship year of 2010, when the Tigers ranked 60th in total defense.
Needless to say, the expectations are extremely high for the fiery Muschamp.
"In my opinion, [Muschamp is] the best defensive mind in all of football, not just college football," Malzahn said at SEC media days in June. "Our defensive players have taken on his personality, which I really like."
Auburn retained Rodney Garner as associate head coach and defensive line coach after the transition to Muschamp, but the rest of his defensive staff is brand-new to the Plains this season.
Travaris Robinson, who played at Auburn from 1999 to 2002, was Muschamp's defensive backs coach at Florida. He immediately helped flip several defensive back recruits from his native South Florida and will be tasked with bringing new life to a thin secondary.
Then there's Lance Thompson, who was an ace recruiter for Nick Saban at Alabama. Thompson has ties to Muschamp from their days under Saban at LSU, and he brings a tremendous amount of experience from coaching and playing in the SEC.
"I'm very excited about our staff," Malzahn said at SEC media days, per Jim Kleinpeter of NOLA.com. "I would put this staff against any in college football, not just being great coaches, but great examples for our players, which is the most important thing for me."
What to watch for on offense
(Note: Both depth charts are based on the latest fall-camp projections from James Crepea of AL.com.)
| QB | Jeremy Johnson (Jr.) | Sean White (RFr.) | Tyler Queen (TFr.) |
| RB | Jovon Robinson (Jr.) or Roc Thomas (So.) | Peyton Barber (So.) | Kerryon Johnson (TFr.) |
| HB/TE | HB: Kamryn Pettway (RFr.) or Chandler Cox (TFr.) | TE: Jalen Harris (TFr.) or Chris Laye (RFr.) | |
| WR (X) | D'haquille Williams (Sr.) | Myron Burton (RFr.) | Darius Slayton (TFr.) |
| WR (Y) | Melvin Ray (Sr.) | Tony Stevens (Jr.) | Stanton Truitt (RFr.) |
| WR (Z) | Ricardo Louis (Sr.) | Marcus Davis (Jr.) | Ryan Davis (TFr.) |
| LT | Shon Coleman (Jr.) | Robert Leff (Jr.) | Bailey Sharp (TFr.) |
| LG | Alex Kozan (So.) | Devonte Danzey (Sr.) | Deon Mix (So.) |
| C | Austin Golson (Jr.) | Xavier Dampeer (Sr.) | Kaleb Kim (TFr.) |
| RG | Braden Smith (So.) | Jordan Diamond (Jr.) | Marquel Harrell (TFr.) |
| RT | Avery Young (Jr.) | Will Adams (Jr.) | Mike Horton (TFr.) |
| K | Daniel Carlson (So.) | Duncan McKinney (Sr.) | |
| KR | Ricardo Louis (Sr.) | Roc Thomas (So.) | |
| PR | Marcus Davis (Jr.) | Jason Smith (Jr.) |
While several SEC schools enter the 2015 season with uncertainty at quarterback, Auburn is supremely confident in its replacement for Nick Marshall: Jeremy Johnson, who almost beat Marshall out for the starting job back in 2013.
The 6'5" passer has had two seasons of preparation behind Marshall, and his efficiency in the limited work he's had as a freshman and sophomore has been nothing short of impressive. Johnson's career completion rate is a sparkling 73.2 percent, and he has a touchdown-to-interception ratio of nine to two.
"Yeah, he definitely is [as good as the hype]," wide receiver Ricardo Louis told Brandon Marcello of AL.com. "I've seen him make some throws that I've never seen any quarterback make, right on the money every time. He's consistent; that's what makes him better than most of the quarterbacks I've seen."
Auburn's offense will undoubtedly look different with Johnson at the helm instead of Marshall. While Johnson's rushing abilities have been undervalued heavily this offseason, his pocket presence is his best weapon, so Malzahn may go back to more of his passing roots this fall.
The Tigers have quite a fluid situation at receiver heading into the season. Star wideout D'haquille "Duke" Williams, who surprisingly stayed at Auburn after a bowl game suspension last year, missed several days of practice because of an undisclosed "discipline issue."
Williams' time away from the team—and continued practice time with the reserves as part of his punishment—could be a blessing in disguise for the rest of Auburn's wideouts. The offense needs to find a true No. 2 weapon alongside Williams out of Louis, Marcus Davis, Melvin Ray and several other reserves.
When the Tigers keep it on the ground, they'll have several highly touted players to choose from.
Auburn has had the SEC's leading rusher in back-to-back seasons. JUCO stud Jovon Robinson and star sophomore Roc Thomas look like the top candidates to take those spots for Auburn. Robinson is beginning to flash more of his elite all-around skill set after a slow start in fall camp, while Thomas has made an effort to become more of a complete north-south rusher.
The two former 5-stars will be backed up by sophomore Peyton Barber, who fits the mold of the powerful 3rd-and-short back and has the potential to be a surprise weapon this fall. Kerryon Johnson, Auburn's third straight Mr. Football winner from the state of Alabama, could be used as a speedy weapon in both the passing and rushing attacks.
The important H-back role will most likely be played by freshman Kamryn Pettway, who has received rave reviews in fall camp. The more traditional tight end is stocked with unproven youth, too, in Chandler Cod, Chris Laye and Jalen Harris.
Auburn's offensive line should be a strength once again amid all the question marks across the depth chart.
The Tigers return tackles Shon Coleman and Avery Young while welcoming back Alex Kozan to the left guard spot. The former freshman All-American missed all of 2014 after offseason back surgery.
Center will be taken by either Ole Miss transfer Austin Golson or senior Xavier Dampeer, who backed up four-year starter Reese Dismukes last season. The other guard spot will be manned by sophomore Braden Smith, whose freakish strength gave Auburn considerable depth last season.
"You can't have enough depth on the offensive line," Malzahn said last week, per Matthew Stevens of the Montgomery Advertiser. "We have as much depth, maybe more than the five previous seasons I've been here."
What to watch for on defense
| Buck | Carl Lawson (So.) | Raashed Kennion (So.) | Justin Thomas-Thornton (RFr.) |
| DT | Dontavius Russell (RFr.) | Maurice Swain (Jr.) | Andrew Williams (RFr.) |
| DT | Montravius Adams (Jr.) | Devaroe Lawrence (Jr.) | Jaunta'vius Johnson (TFr.) |
| DE | DaVonte Lambert (Sr.) | Byron Cowart (TFr.) | Gimel President (Jr.) |
| WLB | Kris Frost (Sr.) | Tre' Williams (So.) | Richard McBryde (TFr.) |
| MLB | Cassanova McKinzy (Sr.) | Justin Garrett (Sr.) | Darrell Williams (TFr.) |
| SLB | JaViere Mitchell (Jr.) | Jeff Holland (TFr.) | Cameron Toney (Jr.) |
| Nickel | Josh Holsey (Sr.) | Tim Irvin (TFr.) | Jeremiah Dinson (TFr.) |
| BCB | Blake Countess (Sr.) | Carlton Davis (TFr.) | Michael Sherwood (So.) |
| FCB | Jonathan Jones (Sr.) | Javaris Davis (TFr.) | |
| SS | Tray Matthews (So.) | Nick Ruffin (So.) | Markell Boston (RFr.) |
| FS | Johnathan Ford (Jr.) | Stephen Roberts (So.) | Jordan Colbert (TFr.) |
| P | Kevin Phillips (Jr.) or Ian Shannon (TFr.) | Jack Bjork (So.) |
Muschamp's first year with the Auburn defense has plenty of potential, as several veterans who have enjoyed some individual success are back for another season.
But as a whole, the Tigers have struggled mightily with limiting big plays and, especially in 2014, getting into opponents' backfields.
The latter issue will be addressed with the return of sophomore Carl Lawson, who looks stronger and faster after missing the entire 2014 season with an ACL injury and surgery. He excelled opposite Dee Ford in his true freshman season and will take over the pass-rushing specialist role in Muschamp's defense at "Buck."
"[Lawson's return] helps a lot because last year we needed some pass rush, and we didn't have that," junior defensive tackle Montravius Adams said, according to Alex Scarborough of ESPN.com. "Having everybody back, everybody pretty healthy, it's going to force people to free up somebody."
Adams will lead the traditional defensive line roles this fall. The versatile junior led all defensive linemen in tackles for loss and has the ability to line up at end. Senior DaVonte Lambert is set to take over an end spot, while redshirt freshman Dontavius Russell wowed coaches and teammates during the preseason at tackle.
Byron Cowart, one of the nation's top recruits in the class of 2015, could emerge as a starter by the middle of the season. His pass-rushing potential makes him and Lawson a dream pairing on the edges.
At linebacker, Auburn has two senior leaders in Cassanova McKinzy and Kris Frost. The two will enter their third straight season as starters, giving Auburn one of the best linebacking duos in the SEC.
"McKinzy and Frost will be expected to start every game and be the nucleus of a defense in transition under coordinator Will Muschamp," Crepea wrote earlier this month. "Since Muschamp is coaching the inside linebackers, there will be no group better school in his ways than his senior LBs."
The current leader for the third linebacker spot is JaViere Mitchell, as senior Justin Garrett has taken reps inside at middle linebacker during fall camp. Auburn has several bright young role players in the linebacker rotation, including sophomore Tre Williams and true freshman Jeff Holland.
The secondary is extremely top-heavy after a huge exodus of transfers during the offseason.
Jonathan Jones is an All-SEC performer at cornerback, and fellow senior Josh Holsey looks to be locked into the nickel role for the Tigers. Former All-Big Ten cornerback Blake Countess answered Auburn's call for help and will be a veteran presence as a graduate transfer.
Junior Johnathan "Rudy" Ford will man a safety spot once again as former Georgia transfer Tray Matthews becomes eligible to play for the Tigers this fall. Matthews is only a sophomore, but he was a starter for the Bulldogs before his dismissal in 2014.
The unit drops off in experience after that as Auburn will have to rely on several true freshmen to play behind Jones, Countess and Holsey. The safety positions also lack an established No. 3 option in case of injury.
Handling the lack of depth in the secondary will be paramount to Auburn's success in 2015. The Tigers' run defense and pass rush should be much improved, but cutting down those big plays through the air will be a work in progress for this defense.
Injury news
| SS Tray Matthews | Hamstring | Back at practice, limited |
| CB T.J. Davis | ACL | Unknown |
Auburn doesn't have nearly as many injury concerns as it did at this point last year, when both Carl Lawson and Alex Kozan were out with what would be season-ending health issues.
Even though he hasn't made a major impact in an Auburn uniform yet, T.J. Davis' absence is huge for depth purposes. Malzahn told Marcello in July the team hopes Davis can make his return from ACL surgery by October.
The only fall-camp injury of real note is the one for Matthews. The former Georgia safety has been limited this month with a nagging hamstring issue. If he isn't 100 percent by the start of the season, Auburn could move Countess to safety and line Holsey back up at cornerback—which is not the ideal situation for the secondary right now.
X-factor
Jason Smith transferred to Auburn from Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in order to compete for the starting quarterback job. Smith was moved to wide receiver in the spring, but he didn't let the position change keep him down.
Smith will look to use his athleticism as a playmaker out wide and on special teams, where he is competing for the starting punt returner job. According to Johnson, his former competition at quarterback could still be a breakout star this season for the Tigers.
"He’s one of the guys that we can count on as a team to make a lot of plays," Johnson told Charles Goldberg of AuburnTigers.com. "He’s tremendous when he gets the ball in his hands. He makes a lot of big plays down the field. We feel really good about him, and he made that transition for the best of him and for this team."
For a defensive X-factor, look to a nontraditional spot—the punter.
Last season, kicker Daniel Carlson pulled double duty for the Tigers by punting the ball as well. His leg wore down during the season, and fatigue started to creep into his field-goal attempts.
This year, JUCO punter Kevin Phillips and true freshman Ian Shannon are battling to take that job.
"They're both competing," Malzahn said, per Marcello. "I think both of them are talented enough to do it. Hopefully in the next week we can make a call on that. That's another area that we feel like it's a good thing that we feel like we have two guys that can get the job done."
With a dedicated punter, Carlson's big leg will be able to stay fresh well into the season. And if either Phillips or Shannon can develop a knack for pinning opponents deep in Auburn's own territory, it would be a big boost for a defense going through a major transition under Muschamp.
Make-or-break games
| Sept. 5 | Louisville | Atlanta |
| Sept. 12 | Jacksonville State | Auburn |
| Sept. 19 | LSU | Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
| Sept. 26 | Mississippi State | Auburn |
| Oct. 3 | San Jose State | Auburn |
| Oct. 10 | BYE WEEK | BYE WEEK |
| Oct. 15 | Kentucky | Lexington, Kentucky |
| Oct. 24 | Arkansas | Fayetteville, Arkansas |
| Oct. 31 | Ole Miss | Auburn |
| Nov. 7 | Texas A&M | College Station, Texas |
| Nov. 14 | Georgia | Auburn |
| Nov. 21 | Idaho | Auburn |
| Nov. 28 | Alabama | Auburn |
Auburn's 2015 schedule could be a lot tougher—since it's an odd-numbered year, the Tigers will host both rivals Georgia and Alabama this season.
But life in the SEC West is still difficult, as Auburn must travel to LSU, Arkansas and Texas A&M in addition to a Thursday night contest at Kentucky.
The first true make-or-break game for Auburn will be against LSU in Baton Rouge. Auburn torched LSU on the Plains last season, but the Bayou Bengals haven't lost to the orange-and-blue Tigers inside Death Valley since 2000. While the afternoon time slot may take some edge off this road trip, this contest will set the tone for the SEC season.
The home game against Ole Miss on Halloween will be one of the biggest games of the entire SEC schedule, especially after the events of the Tigers' last-minute win in Oxford last season. The Rebels and a healthy Laquon Treadwell will be looking for revenge, and the Tigers will be coming off what should be a physical road matchup at Arkansas.
Finally, the Iron Bowl is as make-or-break as they come in the SEC West. The winner of this game has a streak of playing in the contest that decides the national title. If all goes according to projections for both teams, this one should determine the division champion, much like the legendary 2013 matchup.
Each of these three SEC West rivals has major question marks heading into the season, especially at quarterback. But, just like Auburn, they also have lots of potential—and they could easily turn a championship-bound season into another disappointing one on the Plains.
Prediction: 10-2 (6-2 SEC)
I'm sticking with the two-loss projection for Auburn this season—with a caveat.
Auburn's offense should exceed the production of the last two seasons with Jeremy Johnson at quarterback. His arm makes Auburn a more balanced and more explosive football team, and he has the look of a leader who will cause everyone around him to play at a higher level.
I expect the running back rotation to be potent and the wide receiving corps to field a pair of breakout performers.
The defense, though, is still cause for concern. Yes, Muschamp should bring big changes from the days of Ellis Johnson, but issues at defensive back are quite alarming. While I predict Auburn will show improvement on the defensive side of the ball this fall, the matchups against teams that love to throw the ball will still be problematic.
I'm in "wait-and-see" mode when it comes to Muschamp's defense, especially with the depth of the secondary. If he can bring drastic, Malzahn-like change to the unit in year one, Auburn has the talent to run the table. Right now, a pass-happy Texas A&M and a deep Alabama are my picks for close losses.
But as the last two seasons of Auburn football have shown, this program doesn't like to stick to the script.
Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com. All camp and practice observations are firsthand.
Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.
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