The 2017 Auburn football season is right around the corner and here’s the projected two-deep depth chart.
With the 2017 season right around the corner, Auburn football is gearing up for what should be an exciting season. Not only because the Tigers are returning a wealth of talent — 16 starters — but also because they’re considered one of a select few teams that could upend Alabama in the SEC.
The Crimson Tide, a fierce rival of the Tigers, have been dominating the conference for quite some time, but Auburn is no stranger to beating Alabama, but not since Nick Saban took over as head coach. In fact, Auburn had won six straight from 2002-07 but since then, Alabama has won seven of the past nine. It’s time to change that, say Tiger fans.
Could this be the team to do so?
It’s possible given the amount of returning talent and incoming quarterback Jarrett Stidham, a highly sought-after transfer from Baylor. Let’s take a look at the rest of the projected two-deep depth chart for 2017.
Offensive Line
Starting tackles: Darius James (LT), Braden Smith (RT)
Backups: Bailey Sharp, Prince Tega-Wanogho
Both Darius James and Braden Smith return to anchor an experienced offensive line. The left and right tackle positions are locked down to start the season with Bailey Sharp and Prince Tega-Wanogho as capable backups. This should put the mind of whoever starts at quarterback at ease. Smith has the potential to be an All-SEC tackle.
Starting guards: Marquel Harrell (LG), Mike Horton (RG)
Backups: Tyler Carr, Wilson Bell
The guard positions are a little different, though. Although tackle is arguably the most important position on the offensive line, the guards often go under-the-radar as glue guys. Sophomore Marquel Harrell and Mike Horton are set to be first-year starters, barring a late push from Tyler Carr or Wilson Bell. They should be solid contributors up front, but inexperience could be an issue.
Starting center: Austin Golson
Backup: Kaleb Kim
Lastly, the center spot is in good hands as senior returning starter Austin Golson leads the way. He is another All-SEC candidate on the offensive line for the Tigers and that strength up front should lead the way to a successful campaign on this side of the ball. The running room should be vast for Kamryn Pettway. Backing him up is sophomore Kaleb Kim.
Defensive Line
Starting tackles: Dontavius Russell, Derrick Brown
Backups: Andrew Williams, Byron Cowart
Derrick Brown and Dontavius Russell look to be the clear leaders to start at defensive tackle this fall. The latter, Russell, is a returning starter who finished with 29 total tackles in 2016, but failed to record a sack or tackle for loss as a sophomore — he had a much stronger freshman year. Can he get over his sophomore slump? Brown, on the other hand, had 11 tackles, 1.5 for loss and one sack as a freshman. He’s a strong breakout candidate.
Junior Andrew Williams is a candidate to upend one of the starting tackles as he finished with 13 total takedowns in 2015 and Byron Cowart, also a junior, had six tackles and one for loss.
Starting end: Marlon Davidson
Backup: Nick Coe
At defensive end we have sophomore Marlon Davidson ready for a monster season. As a freshman, he wowed the rest of the conference by finishing with 38 total tackles, six for loss and 2.5 sacks while also using his big paws to record four pass deflections. He could be a first-team All-SEC performer by the end of the year. Don’t sleep on redshirt freshman Nick Coe, either. He will be a solid backup and a future star.
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Starting Buck: Jeff Holland
Backup: Paul James III
Losing Carl Lawson definitely hurts the position. He was one of the top defensive linemen in the country and he excelled at the Buck position. In case you’re unfamiliar, the Buck is basically an outside linebacker/defensive end hybrid. Lawson will likely be replaced by Jeff Holland, a rising junior. He’s had a quiet first two years with Auburn, recording 13 total tackles each season, but his two sacks last year were a career-high. Can he live up to expectations set by Lawson?
Senior Paul james III has been fighting for the starting spot here, but it seems like Holland has more upside. The two could have a fierce battle for the No. 1 job deep into the fall.
Linebacker
Starting outside linebacker: Deshaun Davis
Backup: Montavious Atkinson
Some would argue that Auburn has one of the best linebacker situations in the entire SEC. The team is returning a couple of starters and another who could easily fill in as the No. 1 at his position. Although we included the “Buck” position on the defensive line slide, it could easily be moved to this one, as well as nickelback — which is on the defensive back slide.
All four positions combine to make up one extremely rock-solid unit. Starting with outside linebacker, Deshaun Davis returns as a starter for his junior season after finishing fourth on the team with 63 total tackles and third with seven tackles for loss. He also showed his ability to defend against the pass with three deflections. Montavious Atkinson is a capable backup, also entering his third year.
Starting middle linebacker: Tre’ Williams
Backup: Darrell Williams
The middle linebacker position is arguably the most important on the entire side of the ball. It’s basically the quarterback of the defense and starting there is reliable senior Tre’ Williams. He really doesn’t get enough love or respect for how solid he has been, finishing second on the team with 67 tackles in 2016 to go along with 3.5 for loss, one sack, two pass deflections and a forced fumble.
Backing him up will likely be junior Darrell Williams who got some starting time last season. He finished sixth on the team with 52 total tackles and added three for loss. It’ll be interesting to see if he can outperform Tre’ Williams and maybe swipe some playing time at middle linebacker. If both play well, the staff will have to find a way to start them.
Defensive Back
Starting safeties: Tray Matthews, Stephen Roberts
Backups: Nick Ruffin, Marlon Character
Two returning starters at safety? That’s enough reason for Auburn fans to get excited about the prospect of an improved secondary. The passing defense ranked 67th last year, but Tray Matthews and Stephen Roberts return to lead the defensive backfield. Matthews led the team in tackles with one interception and Roberts was fifth on the team in takedowns with two picks. Senior Nick Ruffin and freshman Marlon Character Jr. provide impressive depth at the position.
Starting cornerbacks: Carlton Davis, Javaris Davis
Backups: John Broussard Jr., Jamel Dean
As for the cornerback spot, Carlton Davis returns to his starting job in 2017. He finished the 2016 campaign with 46 total tackles but led the team with 10 pass deflections — although he did not record an interception. He looks to be a strong All-SEC candidate for the Tigers. Javaris Davis, a sophomore, is a rising star in the secondary and many are excited about his potential in the secondary and he’s likely to start at the other corner. Sophomore John Broussard Jr. and Jamel Dean wait in the wings.
Starting nickelback: Jeremiah Dinson
Backup: Daniel Thomas
The nickelback position is one of the most important on Auburn’s defense as it’s a defensive back/linebacker hybrid. Sophomore Jeremiah Dinson is a leading candidate to start but fellow sophomore Daniel Thomas shouldn’t be overlooked. He finished with 16 tackles, 1.5 for loss and two interceptions in 2016. The Tigers really can’t go wrong with whoever they choose to start at nickelback between the two.
Wide Receiver
Starting receivers: Nate Craig-Myers, Eli Stove, Darius Slayton
Backup: Jason Smith, Ryan Davis, Kyle Davis, John Franklin III
If you’re concerned about Auburn’s wide receiver situation heading into the 2017 campaign, you’re not alone. Although there are talented options to choose from such as Nate Craig-Myers, Eli Stove and Darius Slayton, none of them finished with over 300 yards in 2016.
In fact, the team’s leading receiver from a season ago was Tony Stevens, surprisingly, as he caught 31 passes for 487 yards and three touchdowns. He has since graduated, making the lead returning receiver a sophomore in Slayton. He finished the season with 15 catches for 292 yards and a score.
The three projected starting receivers for 2017 had a combined 42 catches last season for 586 yards and two touchdowns. Auburn better hope that whoever the No. 1 receiver in 2017 is has those numbers on his own. With Stidham, or Sean White, at quarterback, that seems likely.
Jason Smith, Ryan Davis, Kyle Davis and John Franklin III can all contribute as well. The latter was a backup quarterback last season, but his versatility was good enough to land him a position change.
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Stove might just be the top option, though, as his proven versatility is unmatched. He finished with 224 receiving yards and 131 rushing yards on 11.9 yards per carry last season.
Starting tight end: Jalen Harris
Backup: Sal Cannella
Jalen Harris was one of the top tight ends in the 2015 recruiting class and he’s finally getting his chance to start for the Tigers. He only has two career receptions for 16 yards, but you can expect that number to grow exponentially in 2017. Sophomore Sal Cannella might fight him for reps, but as of right now, it’s Harris’ job to lose.
Running Back
Starting running back: Kamryn Pettway
Backup: Kerryon Johnson
One of the nation’s top breakout running backs from last season is returning for his junior year in Auburn. Kamryn Pettway was a force to be reckoned with last year, accounting for 1,224 yards and seven touchdowns on 5.9 yards per carry. He didn’t reach the end zone as much as he would have liked, but he was a nightmare for defenses.
The redshirt junior had a chance to leave following the 2016 season and enter the 2017 NFL Draft, but he decided against it and gave up a likely 2-3 round selection. The decision was because he said he had “unfinished business” at Auburn.
Standing just 6-foot-0 and 240 pounds, Pettway is an absolute load to handle as a defender. Trying to take him down in the open field is basically a death sentence. He’s not the fastest guy on the field, but he has the ability to put up big numbers, recording four straight 150-plus yard performances in a row before an injury forced him to miss two games.
Seven of the nine games he played in 2016 yielded 100-yard performances.
Backing him up in 2017 will be junior Kerryon Johnson who is considered more of a speed back than Pettway. He stands 6-foot-0 and is about 30 pounds lighter. He finished with 895 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, averaging 4.9 yards per touch.
Quarterback
Starting quarterback: Jarrett Stidham
Backup: Sean White
One of the more interesting position battles in the entire SEC has to be the Auburn quarterback race. While it might seem like an obvious choice to pick Baylor transfer Jarrett Stidham to start, head coach Gus Malzahn praised Sean White’s play last season, claiming that he helped Auburn reach the Sugar Bowl.
Moreover, at SEC Media Days, Malzahn said that he has two capable quarterbacks but no decision has been made yet. He went on to say that Stidham, despite popular belief, is not a lock to start, which caused some shock around the conference’s media days.
Looking at Stidham, his potential is through the roof. As a sophomore transfer, he had a solid showing a couple of years ago as a fill-in for injured starter Seth Russell, passing for 1,265 yards and 12 touchdowns with a 69 percent completion rate. He decided to transfer from the program following the season and had to sit out in 2016.
Still, he’s my projected starter because the staff will realize who has more of an upside and who will engineer more wins with their arm: Stidham.
Next: NFL Mock Draft 2018: Way-too-early edition
Sean White isn’t a bad backup, by any means. He finished with 1,679 yards and nine touchdowns with only three interceptions and a 64 percent completion rate in 2016. Could the junior really win the job, though?