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A spirit that is not afraid

Auburn moving Alec Jackson from DL to OL, adding depth to suddenly veteran O-line

<p>An Auburn flag flies in the endzone after a touchdown in the second half. Auburn vs ULM on Saturday, Nov. 18 in Auburn, Ala.</p>

An Auburn flag flies in the endzone after a touchdown in the second half. Auburn vs ULM on Saturday, Nov. 18 in Auburn, Ala.

Alec Jackson arrived at Auburn in 2017 as a three-star defensive end, but as of recently, the Jefferson Davis (Montgomery, Ala.) product has transitioned to playing on the offensive line.

"He is athletic; he has a skillset to be successful," said head coach Gus Malzahn on Saturday about Jackson switching positions.

This is not a completely new position for Jackson as he played both sides of the ball at Jefferson Davis. The specific position has not been stated by Malzahn, but judging by Auburn's need for tackles, that may be where he ends up.

"I know J.B. (Grimes) is excited about (Jackson) after one week and we are really looking forward to him developing," Malzahn said.

Auburn returns all five starters from the previous season, bolstering a now-veteran offensive line that struggled for most of the year but looked like it had started to click toward the end of the season. 

Jackson fits the mold of an SEC O-lineman as an athletic, 6-foot-5, 297-pounder. 

"They are completely different, you can tell from a leadership standpoint and a communication standpoint," Malzahn said of his returning seniors on the offensive line. "Those guys have played games together and it is a real confident group. You can tell that it is like night and day this time and last year. 

"The mistakes are limited, the communication has been good, learning to practice staying on their feet, not over extending and being under control. Real encouraged with the offensive line after one week."


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