AUBURN | It was just a year ago that Alec Jackson moved from defensive line to offensive tackle.

This spring, the rising junior will have an opportunity to win a starting position at left tackle as Auburn looks to replace four of five starters and six total seniors from last season.

“I think it will be a very big spring,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “You can see that, not just him, but some of those guys who have been behind the two- and three-year starters, even in bowl practice, you've kind of seen more urgency.

“He's one of those guys. He's an athletic guy, so we're really looking forward to seeing what he can do.”

Prince Tega Wanogho, who started 32 career games at left tackle, pointed to Jackson and rising junior Brodarious Hamm as two of the standouts during bowl practice in December. Hamm saw action last fall as a backup right tackle.

“Those two, right now, I feel like they’re doing really good,” Wanogho said. “They’re really strong and they actually take coaching pretty well, so those are two people who have good, high potential to step into our shoes.”

There’s one area that Jackson will have to work on the most during the offseason if he wants to step into Wanogho’s shoes as the starter in 2020.

“For right now, I would say just pass protection,” Wanogho said. “In the run the game, I feel like he’s going to be really good. He’s a real physical dude. But in the pass protection game, I feel like there’s just something switching from the defense to offense, that’s something he’s got to work on.”

The offensive line should be one of most competitive position battles this spring with so many starting positions up for grabs. Auburn returns 11 offensive linemen from last year’s squad including three that redshirted last fall. Three 2020 signees joined the team in January including junior college offensive tackle Kilian Zierer, who isn’t expected to be cleared to return from a knee injury until preseason drills. Two more signees will join the team in May and Malzahn and staff are in the market to add a potential grad transfer.

“Well, there's going to be some good competition,” Malzahn said. “There's some young guys coming in last year that redshirted that we think are going to be really good players. We have those veteran guys who have been our twos the last two years that have gotten a lot of quality reps in practice and all that. They're going to have a chance. Then obviously we've got the two junior college guys coming in. So I think there's going to be some good competition.

“I think it's really good timing to have a new line coach, a new coordinator, and we'll see who wins the job. But I think competition will be a big key. Really looking forward to see how all that lines up.”

Spring practice begins March 16 with the A-Day game scheduled for April 11.