4 first-year Auburn football players that must establish themselves before Class of 2022

Auburn football DL Marcus Harris

Coming over from Kansas, Marcus Harris will be competing with Colby Wooden and Caleb Johnson for reps. The Montgomery native sees this as a dream come true, but those positive thoughts could dissipate if he can’t find the field in his sophomore season.

Harris came from Kansas after Les Miles was canned, and it’s possible that he would have never left Lawrence if Les was still around. With Caden Story on the way, it’s imperative Harris finds a definitive role along Nick Eason’s defensive line.

If he doesn’t, the Harris homecoming story won’t have a happy ending.

Auburn football CB Ro Torrence

Perhaps the most notable addition to Zac Etheridge’s secondary was Donovan Kaufman from Vanderbilt. The sophomore is expected to contribute right away, offering competition to the incumbent Nehemiah Pritchett to be Roger McCreary’s primary counterpart. Coming from the program Derek Mason coached is a definitive plus for Kaufman.

Ro Torrence doesn’t have that same advantage, coming from JUCO Champion Hutchinson Community College. While he was the definitive top dog of that defense, the SEC talent gap from the JUCO level is something he will need to navigate early on in essentially a new college football weight class.

The versatile Ja’Kobi Albert, who has played as a WR and DB in high school, could further complicate Torrence’s rise if he is used at CB at all in 2022.