In Auburn’s season opener against Kentucky, the Tigers were down several notable players.
Jay Hardy, Marco Domio, Dre Butler, Daniel Foster-Allen, Shedrick Jackson, and Brandon Frazier were all out. Big Kat Bryant was limited only played a few snaps.
Romello Height and O.C. Brothers are also out for an indefinite amount of time after undergoing shoulder procedures, although Gus Malzahn is hopeful they will be available sometime this season.
Malzahn is ‘hopeful’ that the players who were unavailable for the Kentucky game will return this week.
“We’re hopeful for everybody at this point,” Malzahn said. “Now, we’ll see but we’re hopeful that we’ll have everybody back.”
While their injuries are undisclosed, Bryant was said to have suffered an ankle injury in practice and Hardy was seen wearing a boot before the game.
With Auburn down Hardy and Butler along the defensive line, the groups depth stood out, as nine different defensive linemen saw the field against Kentucky and DaQuan Newkirk had a big game, recording six tackles, two tackles for loss and the first sack of his career.
With Jackson out, freshman wide receiver Ze’Vian Capers stepped up, hauling in one catch for 17 yards and perhaps more impressively, did not react when a Kentucky defender shoved him for a personal foul.
Auburn will need to be as close to full strength as possible next week when they travel to Athens to take on No. 4 Georgia.