Auburn depth chart analysis: Left guard

This is the second of a 24-part series detailing Auburn's projected depth chart heading into the 2015 season. This comes after the Tigers concluded spring practice and will include insight from nearly every coach on the staff.

AUBURN – If all goes according to plan Alex Kozan will return to the starting lineup and pick up right where he left off as a freshman All-American.

If being the operative word.

After missing last season due to a herniated disc, Kozan returned to the field in spring practice but did not take part in full-contact periods or scrimmages.

The coaching staff says it was all precautionary and is "very confident" Kozan will be ready to go at full speed for the fall, in which case it's hard to see him not being the starter once again.

Devonte Danzey did surprisingly well in his seven starts last season and is still in contention for the starting spot.

"I wouldn't rule out Devonte being the starter," offensive line coach J.B. Grimes said. "We're not anointing anyone right now."

The Two-Deep

Alex Kozan (6-foot-4, 300 pounds, junior)
Devonte Danzey (6-foot-4, 305 pounds, senior)

Gus Malzahn's take

"(Kozan)'s got a year under his belt of experience and played in some big games and all that -- the mental part. It's just a matter of getting used to the speed of the game and everything that goes with it. He's a very intelligent player. His football IQ is very high too."

Starter

Kozan was being groomed as the leader in waiting on the O-line – he was one of the players to go to San Diego for leadership training with the Navy SEALs a year ago – but the back injury cost him yet another year.

"I'm not going to lie: it wasn't easy," Kozan said. "It was rough. But I was able to grow through that -- me and Carl (Lawson) both were. We both had to sit out the season and we both felt like we were about to have some pretty good seasons. So obviously it was disappointing. But I was able to learn some things on the sideline, kind of take a step back and see the team from a bigger picture than just the O-line."

The Castle Rock, Colorado native was splitting reps during the spring, but in the early portions of Tuesday practices Kozan was the one working with the first team before sitting out the full-contact periods.

"We want to be very, very smart, take good care of him," Grimes said earlier in the spring, "but also knock some of the rust off because he's got a lot of it accumulated right now."

The pecking order may not be definite, but there's a clear leader in the clubhouse.

Backup

Danzey was thrust into the starting job after Patrick Miller sprained his ankle and Avery Young returned to right tackle.

The JUCO transfer did well enough to keep the job for seven straight weeks, but wore down physically, by Grimes' estimation, leading up to the Iron Bowl.

"Devonte Danzey has the ability," Grimes said. "He started seven ballgames last year, played 687 snaps and played winning football. … He is a quality guy that I would rate as a starter."

After a "great spring," Danzey started on A-Day with Kozan out and remains in the thick of the position competition entering the offseason.

"In 2013, Devonte Danzey graded 59 percent on basically the same number of reps (this year's early enrollees) had this spring," Grimes said. "Last spring Devonte Danzey graded 72 percent on basically the same number of reps. This spring Devonte Danzey graded 87 percent, which is winning football in my grading system."

Next Wave

Avery Young (6-foot-6, 305 pounds, junior) is the starting right tackle, that's locked in, but if multiple guards went down it's easy to see Young move back to guard and Robert Leff take over at tackle.

Jordan Diamond (6-foot-4, 304 pounds, junior) is the backup at right guard, assuming he too is healthy after back surgery, and would likely be third on the left side.

Deon Mix (6-foot-4, 301 pounds, sophomore) is the third center but due to lack of number got the start at right guard with the second-team on A-Day. In a catastrophic situation he'd be

Tyler Carr (6-foot-5, 313 pounds, freshmen) got to start at left guard with the second-team on A-Day but is likely going to redshirt along with the other freshmen O-linemen.

Summer Arrivals

Marquel Harrell (6-foot-3, 295 pounds) was steadfast in his commitment to Auburn and considered the top guard prospect in Georgia by Scout.

Quotable

"I think Devonte Danzey had a really good spring. You look at a guy like Alex Kozan -- really glad he was in spring. He could have done whatever we wanted him to do. We just felt good about the work he got in practices, and at this point, let's just get to the season. We're really going to be glad we have him back in the fold this year." – Rhett Lashlee