With Auburn football's QB situation sorted out, keep an eye on these 5 position battles

AUBURN — Since Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne committed to Auburn football in May, the focus of the fanbase has been at quarterback.

But that situation is sorted out now. Thorne will get the start in the season opener against UMass on Sept. 2, coach Hugh Freeze announced last Thursday. Thorne, who threw for nearly 6,500 yards with the Spartans, beat out incumbent starter Robby Ashford and redshirt freshman Holden Geriner for the role.

That doesn't mean position battles are done, however. There's still plenty of intrigue across the roster, and the coaching staff still has decisions to make about who will see the most action against the Minutemen and beyond.

Things get real in 11 days. Until then, keep an eye on these five competitions.

QUARTERBACKS: Payton Thorne is Auburn football's starting QB. What's the plan with Robby Ashford?

NEED MORE: Hugh Freeze not satisfied with Auburn football's energy in scrimmage: 'Got to be some juice'

Defensive end

During spring practices, senior lineman Marcus Harris looked in line to be the starter at defensive end. He took the most first-team reps there, and he was the first player at the position to trot out onto the field at A-Day on April 8.

But Harris has kicked inside this fall. That's due to the emergence of Maryland transfer Mosiah Nasili-Kite and true freshman Keldric Faulk, with the latter making a position change from jack linebacker to defensive end earlier this month.

Faulk and Nasili-Kite will both see the field — the defensive line is a position group in which rotation is encouraged — but exactly how that's broken up is up in the air. Nasili-Kite's experience provides stability, but Faulk's upside is massive.

Slot receiver

Auburn's leading receiver from a season ago, Ja'Varrius Johnson was who many penciled in to start in the slot. He's 5-foot-10, shifty and profiles as a a valuable weapon in Freeze's RPO-based offense.

Sophomore Jay Fair has been one of the preseason's biggest risers, though, and he's gunning for that starting position. Ohio State transfer Caleb Burton III, originally thought to be a piece for the future, shouldn't be slept on, either.

"The main thing is you know what you're going to get out of Jay," wide receivers coach Marcus Davis said Aug. 15. "He's communicating and trying to do the little things right. He's got some strong hands to be a smaller guy. He can catch the ball across the middle. He's good with the ball in his hands. If he keeps doing what he's doing, I can't see why he can't be productive for us in this offense."

Nose tackle

Kentucky transfer Justin Rogers, a former four-star recruit who was rated by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 52 player in the Class of 2020, committed to the Tigers in January after turning in his most productive season with the Wildcats in 2022.

Rogers finished with 35 total tackles last season, serving as a big body in the middle and clogging running lanes. He'll likely have a similar role at Auburn, but he'll be competing with junior defensive lineman Jayson Jones, who running back Damari Alston recently said was on the team's culture council.

Jones was at Oregon from 2020-21 and transferred to Auburn in 2022. In his first year with the Tigers, the 6-6, 338-pound Alabama native registered 28 total tackles in 12 appearances.

Offensive line

Perhaps the most interesting of the battles, there are about six offensive linemen pushing to be starters.

The issue, of course, is only five get to be on the field at once. For the majority of the preseason, the first group out has been (from left to right) Dillon Wade, Jeremiah Wright, Avery Jones, Kam Stutts and Gunner Britton.

But there's recently been a twist. Izavion "Too Tall" Miller, a former junior college standout who followed OL coach Jake Thornton to the Plains, has impressed. So much so that the Tigers experimented with a unit featuring (from left to right) Wade, Britton, Jones, Stutts and Miller.

The key is finding the best mix of your best five, and the coaches are still working to do that.

Linebacker

He's been hurt and was unable to participate in the second scrimmage of the preseason Saturday, but signs point to Ole Miss transfer Austin Keys likely getting the nod at one of the starting linebacker positions.

That leaves another spot open for Eugene Asante, Larry Nixon III or Cam Riley to take.

"When I first got here, I came in here and I got asked what are we looking for in a linebacker," LBs coach Josh Aldridge said Aug. 10. "The word I used was dynamic. That’s what (Asante) brings. He’s not a one-trick pony. He can run, he’s physical, he’s smart. All those things. ... (That versatility) allows us to have a really big toolbox when (defensive coordinator Ron Roberts) is calling the defense.”

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

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football: 5 position battles to watch with season approaching