AUBURN — The goal for Auburn football each offseason is simple: Get better.

Sometimes that's easier said than done, though it seems the Tigers have done a pretty good job accomplishing that since the 2023 campaign wrapped up. Auburn has added 13 transfers dating back to December, and nearly each of them figures to be featured in the two-deep depth chart by the time Week 1 against Alabama A&M rolls around.

The Tigers currently have 77 players on scholarship. Fifty-nine of those players have been added since coach Hugh Freeze took over in November 2022, and 33 of them were brought in this offseason — 18 true freshmen, 13 transfers and two junior college standouts.

Auburn likely isn't done adding transfers — the portal is closed, but players already in it can still take time to find new programs — but the roster is largely what it is at this point. With that in mind, here are three position groups we see as the most improved from last season:

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Wide receiver

This one is the most obvious. Auburn deployed the worst passing offense in the SEC last season, averaging a conference-low 162.2 yards per game through the air. That mark was nearly 20 yards less than Mississippi State, which finished No. 13 out of the 14 SEC programs in this category.

Blame can be attributed to multiple parties other than receiver, namely quarterback and coaching staff, but the Tigers have made it a point this offseason to overhaul their pass-catching unit. Two players — Camden Brown and Caleb Burton III — remain on the roster from a season ago.

The offseason additions include the No. 1 offensive recruit of the modern era (Cam Coleman), a top-50 prospect (Perry Thompson), two other four-star WRs (Bryce Cain and Malcolm Simmons), Penn State's leading receiver from 2023 (KeAndre Lambert-Smith), a standout at the Group of Five level (Robert Lewis) and a converted quarterback (Sam Jackson V).

Offensive line

Auburn is returning three starters along the offensive line — Dillon Wade at left guard, Connor Lew at Center and Izavion Miller at right tackle — and the other two spots are set to be taken by Mississippi State transfer Percy Lewis at left tackle and fifth-year senior Jeremiah Wright at right guard. Lewis started the final seven games of the season for the Bulldogs in 2023, and Wright made an appearance in every contest last season.

The addition of Lewis gives the Tigers a starting-caliber tackle, allowing for depth such as Tyler Johnson to form behind him. Other potential contributors in rotational roles could include former Tulsa transfer Jaden Muskrat and veteran lineman Tate Johnson.

Auburn has not lost a single offensive lineman to the portal this offseason.

Buck linebacker (pass rusher)

If nothing else, the Tigers have more upside at pass rusher.

Auburn brings back Appalachian State transfer Jalen McLeod, who had 48 tackles and 5.5 sacks in his first year with the Tigers, and pairs him with Arkansas State transfer Keyron Crawford. Crawford has spent the last two years with the Red Wolves, and his production rose heavily from 2022 to 2023. It's not an apples-to-apples comparison given the difference in competition between the Sun Belt and SEC, but Crawford's 39 pressures would've led Auburn in 2023. McLeod finished with 38, per Pro Football Focus.

Four-star freshmen Amaris Williams, Jamonta Waller and Joe Phillips are in the picture now, too. Asking freshmen to contribute in Year 1 isn't exactly reliable, but the unit seems to be more talented and has more potential than it did 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: Where the Tigers have improved most this offseason