Auburn football: Five really important offensive players vs. Washington

Center Kaleb Kim

Kaleb Kim might be a newcomer to the staring offensive line, but he’s no stranger to Auburn football.

This is the 6-4, 300-pound junior’s fourth season with the Tigers. He’s seen action in 10 games as a backup, including seven games in 2017.

But his spot appears to be the most tenuous if you listened to Malzahn earlier this week.

“Kaleb Kim is our starter and Nick (Brahms) is right behind him,” Malzahn said. “I know Nick is pressing him and starting to get healthier. He’s been practicing for almost two weeks and you can’t have enough centers and right now we have two. Kaleb has done a good job and has earned that spot.

Malzahn stopped short of saying Brahms would play Saturday.

“I think that question can be answered better at the end of this week. But I’d like to say that Nick can do it all right now,” he said.

That sounds like a head coach looking for someone to take hold of the center position. Maybe Kim and Brahms both are good options. But you aren’t going to rotate at center. This is the player who handles the ball every snap and his relationship with Stidham is vital to the offense’s success.

Keep an eye on Kim early in the game to see how he handles the noise, the line calls and his shotgun snaps. If he can get it done well, great. If not, it sure sounds like Brahms will be staying loose on the sideline.