AUBURN | Colby Wooden and Marcus Harris were really good last season.

They should be even better in 2022. Both defensive linemen have worked hard to improve their play, certainly, and the addition of massive noseguard Jayson Jones is really making a difference too.

“Jayson's been a tremendous help,” said Wooden. “Me and Marcus last year, it was just us two, then we brought him in this offseason. He's been just a big presence in the middle. It's been fun watching him grow with us, him being added into the pack. It's been cool watching him grow and hold the point down in the middle.”

At 6-foot-6 and 328 pounds, Jones has the size and strength to anchor the middle of Auburn’s defense. He can take on double teams, which helps free up AU's other defensive linemen and linebackers to make plays.

“He’s a big boy,” said edge Eku Leota. “He’s plugging holes and it helps our linebackers make more plays. So I feel like Jayson coming in has given us more depth in the middle and has really helped us out, and our linebackers out as well. They can read the holes better and shoot the gaps better as well.”

A Calera, Ala., native, Jones signed with Oregon out of high school but transferred to Auburn after two years. He arrived in January and has fit right in with the program.

“He reminds me of myself coming over,” said Harris, who transferred from Kansas a year ago. “He comes with the work mindset. He just wants to get to work and help the team out as much as he can. He doesn’t say too much, but you can tell he comes to work every day. That’s how I came in here. I wanted to get to work and help the team out anyway I could. I can see that from him.”

Harris says Jones is not like most big-bodied noseguards. He has the versatility to play other positions along the defensive line.

“He can play the the 4i. the 3, the nose, and we can really rotate throughout,” said Harris. “Me him and Colby, we can play different position if we want to. That’s what coach (Jimmy) Brumbaugh is good at too. He’ll put us at different positions at different times so we can know everything we’re doing in case I want to go down I’ll know every position.

"I feel like with Jayson there’s more range. We have more range with the defensive line.”

Auburn concluded spring practice with last Saturday’s A-Day game. The season-opener is Sept. 3 against Mercer at Jordan-Hare Stadium.