AUBURN | Bradyn Joiner has dealt with a lot this past year.

He lost his father this spring while going through his first year as a football player at Auburn. He didn’t play last fall while on a weight-loss plan.

Two members of the Tigers’ staff became important in supporting Joiner through his grief and through his physical transformation in strength and conditioning coach Dom Studzinski and Director of Football Nutrition Danielle Gillen.

“I feel like Coach Dom and Ms. Danielle did a great job and they're great people,” said Joiner. “They're better just to talk to and stuff like that. We built a relationship without just talking about food and all that stuff and weight training and stuff like that. I have a good relationship.

“My father passed in April, so Coach Dom was there for me heavy and stuff like that.”

Joiner said he’s officially down 50 pounds from last year after recently checking in at 308. The weight loss along with a lot of hard work on fundamentals has Joiner as one of Auburn’s most improved players this fall.

“Joiner’s done a phenomenal job,” said offensive line coach Jake Thornton. “I think he can play all three interior positions, another guy that’s grown up a lot in this program. Excited about his growth.”

Joiner has worked with the second-team at center and both guard positions throughout preseason practice. He’s positioned, along with junior Tate Johnson, to be next up if one of AU’s starting interior offensive linemen are injured.

Thornton also likes to rotate his offensive linemen so Joiner is likely to play early and often even if he’s not on the first-team.

“I see how Coach does. If he believes in you, he's going to rotate you in big games and stuff like that. So I feel like he believes in me to go out there and do my job,” said Joiner.

Joiner’s play this fall has given him a lot of confidence going into his second year at Auburn.

“I made a huge jump from last year to this year and I feel like I am one of the best on our line now and I feel like people agree too,” said Joiner. “I think if you put me on the field, it's going to be hard to take me off.”

Auburn opens the season Aug. 31 against Alabama A&M. Kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+/SECN+.