Projecting Auburn football's depth chart with spring practice around the corner
AUBURN — It may feel like the offseason just started for Auburn football, but its nearly time for spring practice.
The official start date of the spring period has not yet been released, but the athletics department recently announced the second A-Day of coach Hugh Freeze's tenure will take place April 6. The beginning of spring practice usually occurs six weeks before that. It began last year Feb. 27.
Auburn inked 18 scholarship freshmen in the Class of 2024 and has brought in nine transfers so far, as well as a couple of junior-college additions. The Tigers may look to add more from the portal in the summer, but the deadline has passed for players to enroll at a new school and be eligible for spring practice.
Four of Auburn's signees — receivers Perry Thompson and Malcolm Simmons, offensive lineman DeAndre Carter and cornerback A'Mon Lane-Ganus — are not early enrollees. That means they are not on campus yet and will not participate in spring practice.
That quartet of newcomers is not reflected in this depth chart projection, as this is meant to serve as a prediction for what the Tigers have to work with in the spring. Auburn has scholarship slots available and will surely add at least a couple more transfers before the 2024 season begins against Alabama A&M on Aug. 31, but for now, here's a look at where the roster sits.
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Auburn football depth chart projection: Offense
QB: Payton Thorne | Hank Brown | Holden Geriner | Walker White*
RB: Jarquez Hunter | Jeremiah Cobb | Damari Alston | Brian Battie | Sean Jackson
WR: Cam Coleman* | Camden Brown
WR: Jay Fair | Bryce Cain* | Koy Moore
WR: Caleb Burton III | Robert Lewis* | Sam Jackson V*
TE: Rivaldo Fairweather | Luke Deal | Brandon Frazier | Micah Riley | Rico Walker*
LT: Percy Lewis* | Seth Wilfred* | Clay Wedin
LG: Dillon Wade | EJ Harris
C: Connor Lew | Tate Johnson | Bradyn Joiner
RG: Jeremiah Wright (or) Jaden Muskrat | Dylan Senda
RT: Izavion Miller | Tyler Johnson | Favour Edwin*
Defense
Note: Auburn has hired DJ Durkin to replace Ron Roberts as defensive coordinator. Durkin's scheme will impact the depth chart, but this is a rough guess of what it'll look like.
EDGE: Jalen McLeod | Jamonta Waller* | Joseph Phillips* | Brenton Williams
DT: Gage Keys* | Trill Carter* | Bobby Jamison-Travis
NT: Jayson Jones | Darron Reed | Malik Blocton*
DE: Keldric Faulk | Zykeivous Walker | Amaris Williams* | TJ Lindsey*
MLB: Austin Keys | Dorian Mausi* | Wesley Steiner | Robert Woodyard Jr.
WLB: Eugene Asante | DJ Barber* | Demarcus Riddick* | Powell Gordon
CB: Keionte Scott | Antonio Kite* | JC Hart | Jalyn Crawford*
CB: Kayin Lee | JD Rhym | Colton Hood | Tyler Scott
STAR: Champ Anthony | Sylvester Smith
S: Jerrin Thompson* | Caleb Wooden | Kaleb Harris*
S: Laquan Robinson* | Terrance Love | CJ Johnson | Kensley Faustin*
Special teams
K: Alex McPherson | Towns McGough (walk-on)*
P: Oscar Chapman
LS: Reed Hughes (walk-on)
KR: Brian Battie | Sean Jackson
PR: Keionte Scott
*Newcomer, either freshman or transfer
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 depth chart 2024: Predicting the spring practice order