A position where Auburn lacks depth just took a big hit.
On Friday, it was announced that backup running back Devan Barrett has entered the NCAA transfer portal. It was first reported by On3.com.
Barrett, who sat out the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns, was expected to fill in as backups to both Tank Bigsby and Shaun Shivers during the upcoming season. A four-star signee at the running back position out of Tampa Catholic High School in 2017, Barrett made the transition to defensive back in 2018 at the end of fall camp and saw some playing time there that year.
Per 247Sports, Barrett’s high school coach, Jeris McIntyre, spoke on the position changes.
“He’s always had a skill set to play either side of the ball,” McIntyre, an Auburn wide receiver in the early 2000s, said. “He was recruited from other schools at other positions: DB, safety, wide receiver. So I wasn’t surprised. I think there were some depth issues with Auburn’s defensive backs when he made the move a while back. So we didn’t know if it was going to be permanent; it was just something to see, maybe help him get on the field. Looking at the situation, it made a little bit of sense when he moved. I wasn’t truly surprised because it’s college, and sometimes you have to move guys around and try to use their skill sets.”