Auburn Makes Notable Changes to Depth Chart in prep for Texas A&M

Auburn Football entering the field for the Arkansas State game. (Photo: Auburn Athletics)

The third game of the season is upcoming for the Auburn Tigers football team on Saturday, against a solid opponent in Texas A&M. With two games under their belts, the Tigers have decided to shake things up on the depth chart heading into the game with the 17th-ranked team in the country.

Offensively, there are a few changes at the wide receiver position. A few “ors” have been taken out of the equation, and some moves have been made. However, the depth chart is not a testiment of how much playing time each receiver will have. Another key change, is taking the tight end completely out of it. Jalen Harris has seen snaps this season, but has not produced any stats. Chandler Cox has 5 rushing attempts for 6 yards so far this season as the H-Back. Cox and Harris have been slotted in as the “HB/TE” instead of playing at their respective positions. The offensive line and quarterbacks will remain the same as last week.

Defensively, changes have been made in the secondary. Josh Holsey will now get the start over Javaris Davis at one of the corners, while Stephen Roberts has been named starter at Free Safety. Rudy Ford has been moved to the nickel position.

At the quarterback position, Sean White will earn his third start of the season, with John Franklin III at second string. Both quarterbacks contributed mightily to last Saturday’s result. White finished the day with 244 yards and three touchdowns on 17 completions. White’s three touchdown performance last week against Arkansas State was triple the amount of touchdowns he passed for in 2015. Franklin rushed for 70 yards last week.

Kamryn Pettway has earned himself a larger role following last week’s monster performance against Arkansas State. Pettway was the Tigers’ leading rusher with 152 yards on 15 carries. Kerryon Johnson continued to prove that he can be the back that Auburn relies on to get 15-20 carries per game. Johnson rushed for two touchdowns and 124 yards in last week’s win. Together, they provide the one-two punch that can make Auburn very successful offensively.

At wide receiver, Auburn will change things up a bit. Tony Stevens, Will Hastings, Marcus Davis, and Darius Slayton will start on Saturday. Tony Stevens, like Kamryn Pettway, was a huge contributor to Auburn’s first win of the season, despite not having a big role in week one. Stevens reeled in 4 catches for 75 yards last week, while catching two of Sean White’s three touchdown passes. Will Hastings has become a fan favorite on the Plains. Hastings, a sophomore from Little Rock, Arkansas, enrolled at Auburn as a kicker. A walk-on kicker. Now finds himself in the starting rotation at receiver. Hastings has 5 catches for 63 yards and one touchdown in 2016.

Austin Golson, Alex Kozan, Xavier Dampeer, Braden Smith, and Robert Leff will start on the offensive line for the third straight game.

The front seven for Auburn’s defense will remain the same. With Carl Lawson and Marlon Davidson at the ends, Dontavius Russell and Montravius Adams at the tackles, and Deshaun Davis, Montavious Atkinson, and Darrell Williams at linebacker. Josh Holsey earns a starting role at cornerback, while Stephen Roberts finds himself back in the starting rotation following his one-game suspension for week one against Clemson. Tray Matthews and Carlton Davis will start in the secondary, while Rudy Ford stays at nickel.

Auburn Football hosts Texas A&M on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff schedule for 6PM.