Auburn football: Key members of Tigers’ two-deep return for ASU matchup

Auburn football had a blowout week one victory versus Akron, but several players were missing from the Tigers’ starting lineup last week. According to first-year head coach Bryan Harsin, three questionable Auburn Tigers will be made available for game #2.

Sophomore cornerback Jaylin Simpson, sophomore safety Ladarius Tennison, and freshman wide receiver Tar’Varish Dawson will be on hand for the Tigers versus Alabama State. Simpson hit the field in game one but left with a lower-body injury in the first quarter. Both Dawson and Tennison were absent from the sidelines for unknown reasons, but Harsin confirmed on Monday that the reasons were unrelated to discipline.

Two of the now-available players are listed on the Tigers’ Week #2 depth chart, and they provide extra security as the backups. Jaylin Simpson is listed under Nehemiah Pritchett at the cornerback position, and Tar’Varish Dawson will play backup to Ja’Varrius Johnson at WR/H:

According to Tom Green of AL.com, the nickel position is not listed on the depth chart but Tennison is expected to be the second option at that position. Tennison played in every game last season as a true freshman and racked up 21 total tackles, 13 of which were solo tackles.

Cornerback Jaylin Simpson had three pass breakups and 14 total tackles last season, 10 of which were solo tackles. He earned his first start versus Kentucky.

Tar’Varish Dawson has yet to see game action as a true freshman after missing the Akron game. The wide receiver committed to the Tigers in May of 2020 as a 4-star ATH recruit. He’s been making a lot of noise in the preseason, and once he gets some experience under his belt the coaching staff expects him to do great things:

"“Right now, it’s learning what to do,” Bobo said. “He’s got talent, and that’s our job as coaches to figure out what he can do and put himself in position to be successful. But I like his attitude. He likes football, he likes to compete.”"

Regardless of whether or not they actually hit the field on Saturday, all three players provide valuable depth for Auburn football heading into their second game of the 2021 season.