AUBURN | Auburn’s receivers put on a show during Saturday’s A-Day game, and the group should get a boost this summer.

Senior Will Hastings, who suffered a second-consecutive knee injury last fall, is ready to join the group after donning an orange, non-contact jersey all spring.

“He got cleared today,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said after the game. “Obviously we didn’t play him but that’s good for the summer and everything that goes with that.”

Hastings became one of Jarrett Stidham’s top targets in 2017 catching 26 passes for 525 yards and four touchdowns. He tore the ACL in his left knee last spring and re-injured the same knee last October.

“He’s very happy. I’m happy for him, too. I know the feeling,” said receiver Eli Stove, who also underwent knee surgery last spring. “It’s good. You’re tired of being in a knee brace. I hate the knee brace. I’m glad — today was my last day in it, too.”

Hasting can fill an important role in the slot, using his quickness to find openings in the secondary.

“His quickness. He always gets open,” Stove said. “He’s a third-down guy, he gets open, and his deep balls. Yeah. He brings a lot.”

Seth Williams and Matthew Hill put on a show during A-Day combining to catch nine passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns.

The receiving corps should receive a further boost this summer with the return of Anthony Schwartz, who spent the spring with the track team. Both of Auburn’s receiver signees are scheduled to report in May, and the Tigers are also in strong contention to land Arkansas graduate transfer receiver La’Michael Pettway.

“It will be a pretty good group. It will be exciting to see,” Stove said. “I think we can be one of the best groups on the team. That’s what we strive to be, so.”

On the injury front, defensive tackle Daquan Newkirk (foot), defense back Jordyn Peters (foot) and safety Smoke Monday (shoulder) are all expected to return this summer after missing spring with injuries.

Linebacker Chandler Wooten was helped off the field after injuring his knee during the A-Day game. Malzahn didn’t have a postgame update but fellow linebacker K.J. Britt didn’t believe it was serious.

“He’s doing good. He said it ain’t nothing major. He said he’d be back real soon,” Britt said.