Door will be open for freshmen Roc Thomas, Kamryn Pettway in Auburn running back race
AUBURN, Alabama -- Auburn's message to its incoming freshmen is clear, especially at the running back position.
The three-way battle between Cameron Artis-Payne, Peyton Barber and Corey Grant is an ongoing one this spring, but it's a battle that will likely not end with a starter being named until the fall.
Incoming freshmen Roc Thomas and Kamryn Pettway will enter preseason practices in August on even ground with their counterparts.
"We're going to play the best player at every position," offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said. "I don't care if you're a senior, I don't care if you're a true freshman. So those guys are going to get opportunities."
The rest is up to the blue-chip newcomers. Thomas, a five-star prospect out of Oxford High, and the three-star Pettway out of Prattville are expected to arrive on campus in late May or early June.
It's not easy for a true freshman to crack the rotation or potentially become a starter, but it's not as rare as some might believe, even in the ultra-competitive SEC.
Six freshmen have entered the SEC and rushed for more than 1,000 yards since 2005, including five in the last four seasons. Michael Dyer (1,093 yards) is the last Auburn running back to do it as a freshman in 2010.
The 5-foot-11, 202-pound Thomas enters the summer as the strongest challenger. He ran for 2,211 yards and 32 touchdowns as a senior, ranking as the country's fourth-best running back in 247sports.com's composite ratings. Thomas was Auburn's No. 1 recruiting target in 2013.
"We really feel like he's got the ability to come in immediately and make a huge impact," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said in February.
Thomas' issue will be adjusting to the speed of the game, which coaches will not be able to judge until his first college football practice in August.
"These guys (on campus now) are light years ahead," Lashlee said. "Obviously Cam and Corey have played. Peyton's had a year plus the spring, so it's just gonna matter with Roc and Kam in that situation. How quick do they pick things up, how fast can they grasp everything and have the game slow down for them?"
History shows Malzahn will likely tinker with his lineup after the first few weeks of the season. It wasn't until the fourth game of 2013 he decided to side with Tre Mason, who went on to break Bo Jackson's single-season rushing record and finish the season as a Heisman Trophy finalist.
Dyer was pushed into action immediately and averaged 14 carries per game in his first season. He eclipsed 100 yards in every game he carried the ball 20 times or more during the Tigers' run to the national title.
The Tigers could also ease Thomas or Pettway into the rotation as the season develops, but that's entirely up to how the players already on campus respond to the competition. Artis-Payne appears to be the heir to Mason's job -- and coaches love the senior's confidence -- but that can all change in August.
"We'll have to see how that goes when those two get here and see how they respond," said Lashlee, "but we're counting on them to come in and compete and want to play and want to play now."
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