AUBURN | Devan Barrett will get a chance to show off his versatility Saturday.

The sophomore is expected to play two positions during Auburn’s A-Day game in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“Devan Barrett will play some wide receiver, he’ll also play some running back,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “Devan’s a real versatile guy and he’s the type that you need to try to find ways to get him the ball. With a couple of the injuries we had at wide receiver, we moved him out. So you’ll see him Saturday playing some of our flanker position and he’ll also play some tailback as far as that goes.”

The move was prompted in part by the attrition at wide receiver this spring after knee injuries to Eli Stove and Will Hastings, and the move of Noah Igbinoghene to cornerback.

“Devan’s got a unique skillset,” Malzahn said. “He was very good on the perimeter last year and he can catch the ball, I mean he catches the ball like a wide receiver. It’s good. I think it’s good for our team and good for him moving forward being able to be versatile like that.”

Barrett played running back as a true freshman last season but was often featured catching passes out of the backfield. He had 10 receptions for 33 yards and one touchdown last fall. He also had 14 carries for 84 yards.

While the experience of catching the football out of the backfield helped Barrett in his transition to wide receiver, it’s still a new position.

“It’s not much as you would think, with the different things we did with him last year,” said Malzahn of his responsibilities at wideout. “The thing that stood out to me is he does a good job of judging the ball and attacking the ball when it’s vertically thrown down the field, so you know, he’s a versatile guy.”

Malzahn is not ready to call Barrett's move to wide receiver a permanent one.

“I’m not ready to say that yet," Malzahn said. "This is just kind of a temporary thing for the last week and a half, and of course A-Day and all that, but he’s a guy that we’re looking to take that next step. He showed he could protect the football last year as a freshman and did a good job on the perimeter.”

The A-Day game is 3 p.m. CT on SEC Network.