AUBURN | Auburn has one safety returning in Zion Puckett and has a pretty tight race developing this spring for the other starting position.

The top candidates currently vying at strong safety are sophomores Cayden Bridges and Marquise Gilbert.

Bridges spent most of his freshman season last fall on the scout team.

“A guy that we took and played a lot of baseball and was a late bloomer in football. Cayden is, the kid is very explosive,” said defensive back coach Zac Etheridge. “He’s probably one of our best players in terms of athleticism. Just trying to get him to understand the importance of details and the importance of being in that safety position. Being young and just want to talk and be vocal back there and just understand that.”

Bridges is listed at 6-foot-2 and 202 pounds on AU’s spring roster, 21 pounds heavier than he was listed last fall.

“Just seeing his growth from the time he got here to now is like, not only just him mentally and physically, his body is changing and you can just see him growing everyday to be that type go guy that you need on the backend,” said Etheridge.

Gilbert signed with Auburn out of Hutchinson Community College in the 2022 class and enrolled in January.

“He seeks contact,” said Etheridge. “He’s got a lot of range, a lot of physicality that he brings to the team, and you just love what he’s doing. But obviously, he’s making strides every day to get better and take that position over. So, he’s in a battle with Cayden Bridges, who kind of knows the system, but those guys are battling out.

“You love to see him progress every single day, and that’s what you love to see, because he’s been showing he’s capable and why we recruited him to come here. He’s starting to get more comfortable in understanding what’s going on, but most guys, they come in and they’re thinking while they’re trying to play it. It slows you down a little bit, so the more he gets comfortable, the more he understands the scheme, the more I see him doing big things for us coming this fall.”

True freshman and January enrollee Caleb Wooden has also been a standout this spring working at the free safety position with Puckett, who is limited with an injury.

Auburn is scheduled to hold its eighth of 15 practices Monday afternoon. The A-Day game is Saturday, April 9 at 1 p.m. on SECN+/ESPN+.