Going into 2013 no other position has more room for improvement than the offensive line.
Last year a lot of the Tigers' offensive problems could be traced back to the guys up front. Auburn ranked 110th in sacks allowed, and 78th in rushing offense, averaging only 148 yards per game.
This painful statistic placed Auburn in the SEC "outhouse" last year.
The offensive line will return 12 players from last year's roster. Six of those players earned at least one start and the other six will be redshirt freshmen.
The Tigers have no senior offensive lineman, and while the youth of the group could be problematic, it could also be an advantage for the team.
Returning starters from last year will be Greg Robinson, Reece Dismukes, Chad Slade, Tunde Fairiyike, Avery Young and Patrick Miller. Young and Miller both played as true freshman.
Dismukes, at center, is one of the most experienced lineman Auburn has.
He earned All-SEC freshman honors after starting every game in 2011.
An off-the-field issue before the first game with Clemson got his sophomore season off to a bad start, and later in the year he suffered an injury that caused him to miss the Ole Miss game.
If he comes back healthy and has his mind in the right place in 2013 he could be one of the most solid offensive lineman in the SEC.
Similar to Dismukes, Slade brings a lot of experience to the table. He also brings a lot of size at 6-foot-5 305 pounds.
Sometimes in 2012 he appeared to be a weak spot for the unit, but through it all he remained positive. If his positive attitude transfers into experienced leadership, he could be a playmaker this season.
Robinson probably has the most potential of the entire group. At times in 2012 he showed glimpses of a solid player, but inconsistency as the season went on hurt him.
Coming back in 2013 with a year of playing time and an offseason to mature should pay off big for Robinson.
Young has been said by many to be an athletic offensive lineman with natural ability.
After earning a start in his first game in college he was sidelined by an injury for the remainder of the season.
If he adds more size in the offseason he could be a major player on the line because Malzahn's offense relies on athletic lineman.
Miller was thrown into action before he was ready last year because of Young's injury.
While this was a negative at the time, it should pay off in the long run by helping him gain experience through trial and error. He could be a solid contributor in 2013.
Another player looking at their first chance to play this fall will be Jordan Diamond. He probably would have seen playing time last year over Miller if he had not been sidelined with an injury for the entire season.
In 2012 Auburn signed one of the top offensive line classes in the country with seven solid players. Those seven players will be getting their first shot at playing time this fall.
Auburn also signed two offensive lineman in the 2013 recruiting class in junior college player Devonte Danzey and South Panola High School player Deon Mix. Danzey could be a player that's looking at early playing time.
"We needed some help at center and at guard, and I feel like he'll (Danzey) have a chance to help us immediately," coach Gus Malzahn said on signing day.
In the SEC no offense will work without a solid line. This was the Achilles heel for the Tigers in 2012.
If the solid potential of this year's offensive lineman class matures on the playing field it will be a strength in 2013.
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