AUBURN | Not many outside the program pegged Jaylin Simpson to win a starting cornerback position during fall camp.

But when No. 8 Auburn opens up the season Saturday against No. 23 Kentucky, it will be Simpson lining up opposite Roger McCreary as the Tigers’ two new starting corners.

“He really came on,” said Gus Malzahn of Simpson’s work over the past five weeks. “He’s got some natural football instincts and we put him at corner right off the bat, and you could tell that each day he improved. He can flat out run. He’s got really good ball skills and he’s a good tackler. He really stepped up and he made an early impression and just kept that momentum going throughout fall camp.”

Simpson had to be considered somewhat of a long shot to win the job at corner after spending much of his first season at Auburn as a safety. He redshirted last fall, made the switch and came into camp in a five-way battle with sophomore Nehemiah Pritchett and junior college transfer Marco Domio, the presumed favorites, along with senior Devan Barrett and sophomore Matthew Hill, who moved from wide receiver to defensive back this year.

His coaches and teammates rave about Simpson’s athleticism, but it may be his mentality that made the biggest difference in winning perhaps the most competitive position battle on the team.

“He’s crazy athletic, a freakish athlete,” senior All-SEC linebacker K.J. Britt said. “He can jump, 40 and stuff like that, but his love for the game and his progress. Everybody who has taken on a role and surprised are guys that have stepped up to the plate and accepted the challenge and accepted the hard things and accepted the Auburn defense and what we’re going to be made of.

“Simp loves football and just watching him every day work, work, work his craft coming from safety to corner and just to keep working. He’s now progressed his way into a starting position. I don’t expect anything else but for him to progress and before it’s all said and done, I expect him to be a household name. He’s going to be really special.”

Kickoff in Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday is set for 11 a.m. CT on SEC Network.