SPORTS

Who's Auburn's lead back? Depends what day it is

James Crepea
Montgomery Advertiser

Roc Thomas, left, Jovon Robinson, middle and Peyton Barber are vying for the starting running back job.

BIG CANOE, Ga. – Jovon Robinson's the lead back – no, Roc Thomas is – no, Peyton Barber is.

Each day of spring practice Auburn running back coach Tim Horton thought he had it figured out and the next practice he'd have a different answer.

"It'll be interesting to see how it plays out because I really have confidence in all three of them," Horton said after a meeting of the Georgia Mountains Auburn Club Thursday night. "In all seriousness, I don't know who is going to start right now."

Perceptions from outside the program are that Robinson, the top-ranked junior college running back the last two years, will slide right in and take over where Cameron Artis-Payne and Tre Mason flourished before him.

"That is not the case," Horton said. "And, again, there's a lot of days that I think it's going to be this guy and the next day I think, nope, this is the guy."

Compared to the last two years, when the coaching staff went through the summer proclaiming an even race in the backfield only to see Mason and Artis-Payne establish themselves en route to leading the SEC in rushing, this offseason is very much a genuine battle.

Auburn fully expects to enter the season without anointing one back as the starter, other than whoever has to trot on the field first, and allowing the performances in the first few games to dictate how things hash themselves out over the remainder of the season. It's a tactic the staff inexplicably took in 2013, despite Mason coming off a 1,000-yard season, but Robinson, Thomas, a former Alabama Mr. Football, and Barber don't have such accomplishments to hang their hats on.

"The first year it just kind of worked out that way," Horton said. "Last year I think we all really knew CAP was going to be the guy, but the first year it just kind of happened. .. I'm pleased with how they're doing but we're just waiting for one to kind of take control of the job."

No matter who emerges as initial starter, how the carries are split is the bigger issue for Horton, who has had success with multiple 1,000-yard backs while at Arkansas in 2006 with Darren McFadden (1,647 yards on 284 carries) and Felix Jones (1,168 yards on 154 carries) along with Peyton Hillis.

Much like 2013 with Mason, Auburn will likely ride the hot hand each week.

"We'll get with coach Malzahn this summer when we really talk about those things we'll really try to get our plan together," offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said. "Honestly, some of it those first few games we'll see how guys react, what they can handle. … A guy may emerge as the guy but at the same time we're all very comfortable if it goes as a combo or even three-man deal throughout the season."