With a little more than 72 hours left until the kickoff of Saturday's game against the visiting Washington State Cougars, head coach Gus Malzahn released his team's two-deep depth chart Wednesday afternoon.
Most of the names at the top of the depth chart are ones Auburn fans expected to see, but there were a few surprises on the first two-deep of the season.
Junior defensive end LaDarius Owens, who was recruited by Gene Chizik's staff to play linebacker, will start on the line this Saturday over senior Kenneth Carter and true freshman Carl Lawson. Owens will line up opposite senior end Craig Sanders, who is starting in place of the injured Dee Ford.
Another surprising starter is senior Chris Davis. The cornerback was expected to have a starting role in the secondary, but he has also received the nod at punt returner over junior wide receivers Quan Bray and Trovon Reed.
Other notable names that were confirmed as starters Wednesday include sophomores Josh Holsey and Patrick Miller. Holsey has made the move from cornerback to safety in Ellis Johnson's new defensive scheme, and Miller has emerged as the winner of the three-way battle for the starting right tackle.
Auburn has seven seniors listed as starters for Saturday's game. In terms of youth, the Tigers have 11 true or redshirt freshmen on the two-deep depth chart.
Here is the official depth chart from Auburn Athletics (Starters listed in CAPS):
OFFENSE
QB 14 NICK MARSHALL (6-1, 210, Jr.)
12 Jonathan Wallace (6-2, 206, So.) OR
6 Jeremy Johnson (6-5, 219, Fr.)
RB 21 TRE MASON (5-10, 205, Jr.)
44 Cameron Artis-Payne (5-11, 210, Jr.)
HB 35 JAY PROSCH (6-0, 258, Sr.)
40 Gage Batten (6-0, 235, RFr.)
TE 11 BRANDON FULSE (6-4, 263, Jr.) OR 81 C.J. UZOMAH (6-4, 258, Jr.)
WR 18 SAMMIE COATES (6-2, 201, So.) OR 81 C.J. UZOMAH (6-4, 258, Jr.)
WR 89 JAYLON DENSON (6-3, 219, Jr.)
11 Brandon Fulse (6-4, 263, Jr.)
WR 4 QUAN BRAY (5-10, 186, Jr.)
1 Trovon Reed (6-0, 190, Jr.)
WR 5 RICARDO LOUIS (6-2, 215, So.)
80 Marcus Davis (5-9, 176, Fr.)
LT 73 GREG ROBINSON (6-5, 320, So.)
72 Shon Coleman (6-6, 299, RFr.)
LG 63 ALEX KOZAN (6-4, 297, RFr.)
53 Devonte Danzey (6-4, 282, So.)
C 50 REESE DISMUKES (6-3, 297, Jr.)
65 Tunde Fariyike (6-2, 305, Jr.)
RG 62 CHAD SLADE (6-5, 313, Jr.)
76 Jordan Diamond (6-6, 315, RFr.)
RT 51 PATRICK MILLER (6-7, 283, So.)
56 Avery Young (6-6, 304, RFr.)
DEFENSE
DE 13 CRAIG SANDERS (6-4, 245, Sr.)
94 Nosa Eguae (6-3, 269, Sr.) OR 97 Elijah Daniel (6-2, 264, Fr.)
DT 98 ANGELO BLACKSON (6-4, 310, Jr.)
1 Montravius Adams (6-4, 305, Fr.) OR 93 JaBrian Niles (6-2, 293, So.)
DT 54 JEFFREY WHITAKER (6-4, 310, Sr.) OR 90 GABE WRIGHT (6-3, 296, Jr.)
50 Ben Bradley (6-1, 295, Jr.)
DE 10 LaDARIUS OWENS (6-2, 250, Jr.)
92 Kenneth Carter (6-4, 280, Sr.) OR 55 Carl Lawson (6-2, 258, Fr.)
MLB 5 JAKE HOLLAND (6-1, 240, Sr.)
17 Kris Frost (6-2, 238, So.)
WLB 8 CASSANOVA McKINZY (6-3, 246, So.)
43 Anthony Swain (6-2, 239, So.) OR 16 JaViere Mitchell (6-2, 205, RFr.)
Star 26 JUSTIN GARRETT (6-1, 218, Jr.)
27 Robenson Therezie (5-9, 204, Jr.)
CB 6 JONATHON MINCY (5-10, 200, Jr.)
37 Kamryn Melton (5-10, 173, Fr)
FS 9 JERMAINE WHITEHEAD (5-11, 201, Jr.)
24 Ryan Smith (6-2, 194, Sr.)
BS 15 JOSHUA HOLSEY (5-11, 197, So.)
25 Kiehl Frazier (6-2, 224, Jr.)
CB 11 CHRIS DAVIS (5-11, 200, Sr.)
19 Ryan White (5-11, 196, Sr.)
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK 36 CODY PARKEY (6-0, 190, Sr.)
38 Daniel Carlson (6-4, 205, Fr.)
P 30 STEVEN CLARK (6-5, 230, Sr.)
28 Jimmy Hutchinson (6-2, 190, Fr.)
H 19 RYAN WHITE (5-11, 196, Sr.)
12 Jonathan Wallace (6-2, 206, S0.)
DS 59 JAKE LEMBKE (6-2, 240, Sr.)
48 FORREST HILL (6-1, 247, Jr.)
KR 21 Tre Mason (5-10, 205, Jr.)
20 Corey Grant (5-11, 205, Jr.)
4 Quan Bray (5-10, 186, Jr.)
5 Ricardo Louis (6-2, 215, So)
PR 11 Chris Davis (5-11, 200, Sr.)
4 Quan Bray (5-10, 186, Jr.)
1 Trovon Reed (6-0, 190, Jr.)
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