The Auburn Tigers had a rough season last year, winning just seven games and only two SEC contests. The Tigers hope this year will be different and that they can return to the top of the SEC and college football in 2016. But for those dreams to come true, Auburn needs a few players to have breakout seasons.
Breakout seasons happen every year in college football. Sometimes, the player in question shows flashed the previous season and takes the logical step forward. Sometimes, the player comes out of nowhere to make a massive impact. So who will be the Auburn Football breakout players in 2016? We've put together four of the most likely candidates below, although there are a few other players who could end up breaking through this year.
4. LB Deshaun Davis
Tre' Williams is the only sure-fire starter at LB for the Tigers, leaving a spot for Davis to snag. Davis might actually be better off at MLB, where Williams plays, but Davis is too gifted to not be a starter. Don't be surprised if T.J. Neal, another MLB by trade who transferred from Illinois, ends up being the third starter. Davis has hardly seen the field at Auburn, but that should change this year.
3. OL Darius James
James is the first of three players on this list who might not even be starters. A former five-star recruit, James left Texas in May 2015 and is ready to play. While Auburn has several quality linemen, James looked great in spring practice. He can play guard or tackle and it would be a surprise if he's not a starter by the mid-point in the season. He's the type of impact lineman the Tigers could use, especially in the running game.
2. DE Byron Cowart
The No. 1 recruit in the nation last year according to Rivals.com, Cowart didn't come close to living up to expectations in his freshman season. He failed to record a sack and seemed like he should have redshirted. But now that he's had another year to develop, Cowart could breakout. The other major question is if Cowart can hold off true freshman Marlon Davidson, who looked great in spring practice. If Cowart can't win the starting job, then it will be Davidson who is the breakout player.
1. John Franklin III, QB, Auburn
The last time an Auburn QB was picked to have a breakout season we ended up with the Jeremy Johnson hype train getting wildly out of control before crashing. But Franklin might be different, and the Tigers need him to be. Franklin started his career at Florida State before taking the JUCO route. He's now at Auburn, a team in desperate need of better QB play. A dangerous dual-threat, Franklin has Mike Vick-like running ability. There are concerns about his arm and lack of size (he's just 180 pounds), but is a great fit for the Tigers' offense. They need a QB to run the read-option, and that's perfect for Franklin. He'll get every shot to winning the starting job, even if he's raw as a passer. Plus, Auburn has had success in the past with JUCO QBs.
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