Jan 1, 2015; Tampa, FL, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn looks on during the first half in the 2015 Outback Bowl against the Wisconsin Badgers at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Auburn football players are jockeying for position on the depth chart in spring practice. Five redshirt freshmen in particular are ready to contribute.
When a high school football player signs his national letter of intent to play in college, few are excited about the possibility of redshirting their first year on campus. Regardless of their standing as a five-star stud or an under-the-radar two- or three-star prospect, most want to contribute on the field as true freshmen. Of course, it doesn’t always happen that way.
Of the 18 high school players to sign with the Auburn football program in 2014, only seven received playing time for the Tigers. Roc Thomas, Tre’ Williams and Braden Smith were good enough to crack the starting lineup at least once a piece and Stephen Roberts, Nick Ruffin, Raashed Kennion and Stanton Truitt saw limited action (though Truitt suffered an injury and was granted a medical redshirt).
However, with spring practice in full swing and the Tigers installing a new defense and replacing 18 scholarship seniors and two juniors that left early for the NFL, the coaching staff is taking a long look at the redshirt freshmen on campus.
The ten redshirt freshmen currently on the Auburn football roster are:
- Markell Boston, S
- Myron Burton, Jr., WR
- Deshaqun Davis, LB
- Chris Laye, TE
- Kamryn Pettway, HB
- Dontavius Russell, DT
- Justin Thornton, DE
- Stanton Truitt, WR
- Sean White, QB
- Andrew Williams, DT
The most recognizable name is quarterback Sean White, who spent the 2014 as the third-string quarterback and is currently “competing” with Jeremy Johnson for the starting quarterback job. However, with Johnson being one of the SEC’s most talented players and having been groomed to take over for Nick Marshall during the past two seasons, White isn’t likely to play much in 2015.
So which five are most ready to contribute in 2015? Let’s take a look.
Next: Dontavius Russell