AUBURN | It’s no surprise that Auburn’s defensive line has been thinned by attrition.

It’s unreasonable to expect 12 players to return at a position with three starting spots and one where the veterans would be playing under their third different defensive coordinator and third defensive line coach in the last three years.

But losing seven players to the transfer portal? That’s a big number and leaves the Tigers a little short on depth for 2022 and without many players it can count on for the following two seasons.

For 2022, however, Auburn should remain strong upfront with three full- or part-time starters returning in junior Colby Wooden, junior Marcus Harris and graduate Marquis Burks. Those three along with Oregon transfer, sophomore Jayson Jones, could make up the top four in the playing rotation.

Also scheduled to return is junior Zeke Walker and redshirt freshman Tobechi Okoli. Of the four defensive linemen Auburn signed in the 2021 class, Okoli is the only one still on the roster.

The Tigers have added two players in the 2022 class, junior college signee Jeffrey M’ba and incoming freshman Enyce Sledge.

Here’s how they could line up this fall:

DEFENSIVE END

1. Colby Wooden, Jr.

2. Zeke Walker, Jr.

3. Tobechi Okoli, RFr.

NOSE TACKLE

1. Marquis Burks, Gr.

2. Jayson Jones, So.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

1. Marcus Harris, Jr.

2. Jeffrey M’ba, Jr.

3. Enyce Sledge, TFr.

There’s certainly versatility in the group with Wooden, Walker, Burks and Harris capable of working at a couple of different positions. And having eight players for three spots is still a good number.

It gets questionable when you look ahead to the next two years, however, considering Burks will be out of eligibility after this fall and Wooden should be a top prospect for the 2023 NFL Draft. Harris, Walker and M’ba could leave at anytime after this season or the next.

Even Jones will be eligible for the ’23 draft. While it would be surprising if it ended up this way, the only two players guaranteed to return for 2023 are Okoli and Sledge. And that's assuming there’s no further attrition.

That makes the defensive line one of the highest priorities for Auburn in the 2023 and 24 recruiting classes. It’s also not out of the question that the Tigers could target another d-line transfer in the portal to bring in this summer, especially if he has more than two years of eligibility left.

Spring practice is scheduled to get underway March 14. The A-Day game will be April 9.

LISTS OF DL TRANSFERS: Sr. Caleb Johnson, Sr. Dre Butler (LIB), Jr. J.J. Pegues (OM), So. Daniel Foster-Allen (USA), RFr. Lee Hunter (UCF), RFr. Ian Matthews, RFr. Marquis Robinson