Depth chart analysis: Specialists

This is the final installment of a 24-part series running up to SEC Media Days detailing Auburn's depth chart heading into the 2014 season. This comes well after the Tigers concluded their 15 spring practices and includes insight from nearly every position coach on the staff.

AUBURN -- There are two very critical voids Auburn has to fill after the departures of Cody Parkey and Steven Clark to the NFL.

The heir apparents, Daniel Carlson and Jimmy Hutchinson, were both signed a year ago and redshirted last year. Now they take over for two of the more consistent kickers in the SEC and their first real game experience comes against a conference foe in Arkansas.

"Daniel Carlson hit a 50-yarder, he missed a 51-yarder, kind of trying to decide on who the holder will be," special teams coach Scott Fountain said. "(A-Day) was a great opportunity for them. For Jimmy, he started out kind of sluggish, I thought he got better as he went but we got to continue to improve at that position. Those are two big holes to fill."

There's little doubt that Carlson, who earned Special Teams MVP on A-Day for his 2-for-3 field goal performance despite missing a PAT, and Hutchinson are capable, it's just that they're untested and won't face a true test until the opener.

Even the holder spot is up for grabs as Jonathan Wallace's issues on A-Day were noted by several coaches. With the Batman formation being so important, the staff likes Tyler Stovall as a potential replacement for Ryan White.

Robenson Therezie leads the pack among the punt returners, though the battle to replace Chris Davis Jr. is far from over.

"The guys we're going to look at a little closer when we get into the fall are Robenson Therezie, Jonathon Mincy, Gray King, that's a walk-on is a really athletic, is small, then Marcus Davis and then maybe Jermaine Whitehead," Fountain said.

On kickoff return it should come as no surprise that Corey Grant leads the way heading into fall camp.

"As far as kickoff return we got a good group back there that I feel has a chance to be pretty strong," Fountain said. "I think Corey, Ricardo Louis, those two I really like. I got to work Sammie Coates back there past spring, who gives us tremendous speed. You also have Rudy Ford. I feel like those four, that's fantastic speed, we just got to see if they can do it when the bullets are flying."

Forrest Hill returns at long snapper and could take over short snapper duties as well.

Kicker
Daniel Carlson (6-foot-4, 216 pounds, redshirt-freshman)

Punter
Jimmy Hutchinson (6-foot-2, 198 pounds, redshirt-freshman)

OFFENSIVE POSITION ANALYSIS: QB | RB | HB | TE | SE | F | SLOT | LT | LG | C | RG | RT

Holder
Jonathan Wallace (6-foot-2, 207 pounds, junior)
OR Tyler Stovall (6-foot-1, 207 pounds, redshirt-freshman)

Short snapper
Forrest Hill (6-foot-1, 248 pounds, senior)
Ike Powell (6-foot-3, 264 pounds, freshman)
OR Zach Wade (5-foot-9, 199 pounds, freshman)

Long snapper
Forrest Hill (6-foot-1, 248 pounds, senior)

DEFENSIVE POSITION ANALYSIS: LDE | DT | NT | RDE | MLB | WLB | Star | FCB | BCB | FS | BS

Punt return
Robenson Therezie (5-foot-9, 212 pounds, senior)
Jonathon Mincy (5-foot-10, 200 pounds, senior)
Gray King (5-foot-10, 171 pounds, redshirt-freshman)
Marcus Davis (5-foot-9, 174 pounds, sophomore)
Jermaine Whtiehead (5-foot-11, 193 pounds, senior)

Kick return
Corey Grant (5-foot-11, 203 pounds, senior)
Ricardo Louis (6-foot-2, 212 pounds, junior)
Sammie Coates (6-foot-2, 201 pounds, junior)
Johnathan Ford (6-foot, 199 pounds, sophomore)

Quotable
"I expect us to improve on our kicking, our punter and our holding, and our short snapping. I want us to be really solid with that and clean up some things from spring." – Scott Fountain