AUBURN — Auburn football has a handful of players who are household names, especially in the SEC.

Fans around the conference know running back Jarquez Hunter, who was sixth in the SEC in average yards per rush last season amongst players who tallied at least 100 carries. They know tight end Rivaldo Fairweather, the breakout transfer who tallied nearly 400 yards and six touchdowns in 2023. They'll get to know five-star freshman Cam Coleman, Auburn's highest-rated offensive signee in the modern recruiting era.

But those players aren't the only Tigers expected to make impacts next season.

Here are five pieces on Auburn's roster who could be primed for bigger seasons than people anticipate:

ONE SIDE: Projecting Auburn football's offensive depth chart after spring portal additions

THE OTHER: Who we think will be atop Auburn football's defensive depth chart come preseason practice

DB Sylvester Smith

A second-year defensive back who has shown the ability to play both in the nickel and in the backend at safety, Sylvester Smith's versatility puts him in good position to get on the field as a redshirt freshman. Texas transfer Jerrin Thompson has locked down a starting role at one safety spot, at least that's what it looked like throughout spring practice, but there's been some competition between Smith and Caleb Wooden to play alongside him.

EDGE Keyron Crawford

Auburn struck gold last season by bringing in a transfer pass rusher from the Sun Belt in Jalen McLeod (Appalachian State), and it's trying to do that again in 2024 with former Arkansas State standout Keyron Crawford. Considering how young the Tigers are at buck linebacker — the depth at the position includes three true freshman (Joseph Phillips, Jamonta Waller and Amaris Williams) — there's no reason why Crawford won't see the field plenty.

WR Camden Brown

The coaching staff obviously sees something in junior Camden Brown, as he's the only receiver on the roster who predates coach Hugh Freeze's arrival in November 2022. It's not hard to see the traits in Brown, who is listed at 6-foot-3 and moves well for his size. He hasn't quite been able to put it together yet, but he seemed to show some noticeable improvement during spring practice and could serve as a big body for quarterback Payton Thorne to throw to, especially early in the season while the freshmen (namely Coleman and Perry Thompson) get acclimated.

DB Champ Anthony

With Keionte Scott moving from the nickel to the outside, Champ Anthony has stepped up and has seemed to secure the starting role of slot cornerback. Anthony, who began his career in junior college before transferring to Auburn ahead of last season, played 81 defensive snaps in 2023, per Pro Football Focus. Expect to see much more of him in 2024.

WR Caleb Burton III

Once a four-star recruit in the Class of 2022, receiver Caleb Burton III transferred to the Tigers in May 2023 after starting his career with a redshirt season at Ohio State, which has become a factory for elite WRs in recent years. Burton, along with Brown, is one of two WRs who remain on the roster from last season. He was fairly productive in an Auburn offense that struggled to throw the ball with much consistency, grabbing 16 passes for 226 yards. Only two receivers — Ja'Varrius Johnson (347) and Jay Fair (324) — had more receiving yards last season.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football: 5 underrated players ahead of preseason practices