Early standouts

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AUBURN, Ala. | It's still early into spring practice, Auburn donned pads for the first time Saturday, but offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee is already impressed with the work of two freshmen H-backs.

Kamryn Pettway, a redshirt freshman, and Chandler Cox, a true freshman that enrolled in January, are competing for the starting position.

"For the first day in pads, I don't know how well they executed but from a physicality standpoint, I was really pleased," Lashlee said. "You've got all spring, all summer, all fall camp, I think those two guys are going to give us a chance."

Pettway came in as a big running back but got work at H-back/fullback during bowl practice. The move became permanent this spring.

"For a big guy, he's very athletic. He's light on his feet. He's very physical and I think he's got a chance to really help us there," Lashlee said.

Lashlee also complimented the center position, particularly sophomore Austin Golson, who transferred from Ole Miss and sat out last season. He's battling senior Xavier Dampeer for the starting position.

"Austin's made a really good transition," Lashlee said. "He's played tackle his whole life but he's very smart, he's a big kid."

YOUNG BUCKS: Sophomore Carl Lawson will probably be Auburn's starter at the Buck position, but that doesn't mean he isn't being pushed this spring. One player working behind Lawson that's really impressed him so far is sophomore Raashed Kennion.

"Raashed, even when he got here as a freshman he was really freaky. Long, ridiculously long," Lawson said. "Can cover ground and can bend the edge. He pushes me every day to get better. I see that from him and it makes me want to go hard because he's good in his own right.

"I mean everybody who's here is good. Just certain guys separate themselves with technique and just being smart about the game. But Raashed always stands out to me because he's so fluid."

SPREADING IT OUT: Lashlee said junior Jeremy Johnson and redshirt freshman Sean White basically split reps with the first-team the first week of practice while sophomore Jason Smith, a junior college transfer, and true freshman Tyler Queen worked with the second-team.

"Jeremy and Sean, really, I've been pretty balanced with the way I've rotated them, splitting the reps, and those two guys have both overall had pretty good days," Lashlee said. "I'm really pleased with them trying to lead and be leaders out there. We've got to be more accurate throwing the football, but as far as balancing the reps, that's how we've done it, and all four have gotten opportunities."

While the competition for the starting position could stretch into fall drills, Johnson remains the odds on favorite to win the job.

"He's got all the arm talent you could want," Lashlee said. "He can throw the ball vertically down the field, he can hit every throw on the field to boundary, to intermediate to field comebacks. He can make every throw on the NFL route tree, throw a very tight, good ball."

BIGGER AND BETTER: Sophomore running back Roc Thomas has put on about 10 pounds during the offseason and is playing at about 205 this spring. He's in a three-way battle with Jovon Robinson and Peyton Barber for the staring position this year.

"He's looking a lot thicker, looks just as quick and fast," Lashlee said.

While one back got the majority of the carries and yards in his offense the last two seasons -- Tre Mason in 2013 and Cameron Artis-Payne in 2014 -- Lashlee isn't ruling out the possibility of using a running back by committee this season.

"It doesn't bother me if we play all three of them," he said. "We traditionally have that one guy, but if we had three guys that all had 700 or 800 yards it's just as good as one guy having 1,800 yards or maybe better because they are fresher."