Auburn coach Gus Malzahn has five spaces on the offensive line he’s trying to fill with six guys.
Three of the spots have been the same throughout the year. Alex Kozan, Braden Smith and Robert Leff have held down their spots at left guard, right guard and right tackle, respectively, and there aren’t any signs that will change.
The other two spots are where it gets tricky. Xavier Dampeer, who started at center for Auburn’s first four games, missed the previous two with an undisclosed injury suffered against LSU. Left tackle Austin Golson took Dampeer’s spot at center, and 'sixth man' Darius James replaced Golson at left tackle.
The result was two of Auburn’s most convincing wins of the year, although one came against an outmatched Louisiana-Monroe team. Auburn put forth two of its three best offensive outputs so far in those games, and it’s presented Malzahn with a dilemma as he decided which configuration to go with on the line.
“We’ll get that all figured out here this week, but the good thing...is that we’ve got six guys that have actually started in an SEC game and won,” Malzahn said. “I think that’s a really good thing as far as depth is concerned. But we’ll make that call later in the week.
James, a former five-star recruit who signed with Texas out of high school and transferred to Auburn two years later, got his first start against Louisiana-Monroe. He likened himself to a 'utility player' this year. “I feel like I can go in there wherever they need me at, and whenever my number’s called, just be ready to play.”
The transition was made markedly easier by the presence of Kozan, a fifth-year senior who leads the offensive line and generally aided James in his first couple of starts.
“It’s really reassuring [having Kozan next to him] cause he’s out there making extra calls, he’s out there telling you what you need to do,” James said. “He’s really helping me play the position.”
The inverse is true for Kozan. He’s noticed the improvement James has made, especially as he made the jump from sixth man to starter.
“As a run blocker, he’s done better than I expected,” Kozan said. “As a pass blocker, he’s been solid. I don’t think he’s given up any sacks or anything like that. Darius has really been focused on improving during practice, and that’s kind of allowed him to play better in the game.”
Regardless of which combination Malzahn and offensive line coach Herb Hand decide to roll out, the confidence won’t waver among them or the other members of the trenches. They all believe they’ve got a surplus of capable offensive linemen, all of which are more than capable of sliding into the starting lineup.
“I think we’ve got six really good players,” Kozan said. “Darius has really stepped up when he’s gotten his opportunity here in the past couple weeks. So we’re going to have a good, hard week of practice and Coach Malzahn and Coach Hand and Coach Lashlee all make the best decision for the team and I think we’re ready to roll with whoever’s in there.”
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