After Auburn's 3-9 season in 2012 and a complete coaching staff change, the recruits who decided last February to send their National Letters of Intent to The Plains were not committing their futures to the most stable of situations.
Eleven months later, that celebrated 2013 freshman class is in Pasadena, Calif., preparing for the 16th and final BCS National Championship Game.
Auburn's true freshmen say they were expecting what head coach Gus Malzahn preached to them all during the offseason--that the Tigers were going to have the biggest turnaround in college football--but those dreams did not go much further than a winning season and a January bowl game.
"We imagined we were going to have a winning season," freshman cornerback Johnathan Ford said Saturday during Auburn's BCS National Championship Game Media Day session. "But now...wow. I'm just happy that in my freshman year, I get to go play for the national championship and maybe play in it."
For Ford, the chance to get minutes in the national title game came with a dramatic change. Like former starting quarterback Kiehl Frazier, Ford hopped from one backfield to the other, switching from running back to defensive back during Auburn's early-season injury crisis in the secondary.
"It's been so different from when I started the season at running back and when I moved to corner," Ford said. "Playing corner, a new position I had never played, and having an opportunity to progress and play in game--have pass breakups and stuff like that--it's a blessing."
Ford moved to cornerback, where he has rotated in as a non-starter for defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, but he had the chance to run the ball against Western Carolina.
In a modern age of college football where "ironman" players are rare, Ford has dreams of contributing on both sides of the field.
"It's been a blessing, really, to play two positions in college football--especially in the SEC," Ford said. "They say many people don't get that chance, period."
Freshman wide receiver Marcus Davis knows all about Ford's switch, as he has also experienced a position change from his high school days to the time he started suiting up for the Tigers.
Davis, a former high school quarterback, went from throwing passes to catching them--and he has made the most of his chances, grabbing 22 passes and emerging as a reliable target during Auburn's come-from-behind win against Mississippi State.
"(Auburn's coaches) told me if I came in here and worked hard, I'll be able to get those opportunities," Davis said. "They kept their word, and it is just an honor to be a part of such a special team."
Another player who few expected to get playing time this season was freshman quarterback Jeremy Johnson. After losing the early fall race for the starting job to Nick Marshall, the Montgomery native waited for his number to be called.
That time came against Western Carolina, when Johnson started for the injured Marshall in a memorable Homecoming rout of the lowly Catamounts.
"That game was just something for the fan base to see what the future was all about and show my coaches what I could do," Johnson said. "I think I did a spectacular job and my teammates kept me going. It was a fun moment."
Johnson would get significant minutes against Florida Atlantic later in the year, and the dual-threat quarterback has seen a few snaps in most of Auburn's SEC action this season.
"Coming from high school to a national championship is a big jump," Johnson said. "It's crazy. Right now, I'm taking it all in--developing, becoming a better leader, enjoying this moment."
Now preparing for a title game at the Rose Bowl, Johnson is continuing to "prepare like a starter" and wait for his chance.
"When my number is called, I'll have some jitters," Johnson said with a nervous laugh. "But after the first few plays or so, I'll be good. I'm real happy to be here, and (my team) is looking forward to taking a title back to Auburn."
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