AUBURN | Auburn made the offensive line its highest priority in the graduate transfer market and landed its top target in Akron’s Brandon Council last Thursday.

Council, 6-foot-4 and 325 pounds, will bring a lot of experience and versatility to the Tigers.

With 24 career starts, Council has more than twice the 10 starts center Nick Brahms has totaled over the last two seasons. Brahms, a junior, is the only returning AU offensive lineman with starting experience.

In his 12 starts last season, Council started at left guard seven times, center twice, right tackle twice and left tackle once. He could end up playing any of the five offensive line positions for the Tigers but is expected to get a first look at tackle due to need.

Prince Tega Wanogho at left tackle and former graduate transfer Jack Driscoll at right tackle combined for 55 starts over the last two-plus seasons. Auburn doesn’t return any sure bets to step into their starting slots although junior Brodarious Hamm, who switched from guard to right tackle last year, probably received the most praise from the coaching staff among the backups last season.

Junior Austin Troxell, who is coming off his third major knee injury, is a candidate at both tackles. Junior Alec Jackson moved from defensive line before the 2019 season and worked as a backup left tackle last season. Other candidates for Auburn at tackle include redshirt freshman Justin Osborne, junior college transfer Killian Zierer, who is also overcoming a knee injury, and senior Prince Michael Sammons.

At guard, junior Tashawn Manning, another converted defensive lineman, has the most experience as a backup, but redshirt freshman Keiondre Jones and sophomore Jalil Irvin probably made the biggest impression during preseason and bowl practices. Sophomore Kameron Stutts is another young talented guard to watch along with redshirt freshman Kamaar Bell, junior college transfer Brenden Coffey and true freshmen Avery Jernigan, Tate Johnson and Jeremiah Wright.

Bell should also get a look at center while Coffey and Wright could play right tackle.

It’s difficult to pigeonhole players into a slot too much considering the groups overall inexperience, adding six newcomers and the addition of new offensive line coach Jack Bicknell Jr.

With 33 years of coaching experience, including seven in the NFL, Bicknell will bring a new set of eyes and expectations to the group, which could mean a lot of shuffling as he determines Auburn’s best five offensive linemen and then gets them in the right positions.