AUBURN | A starter in all 33 games last season, Jaylin Williams is facing a serious challenge to hold onto his spot with the first team going into his fifth season.

UAH transfer Chaney Johnson is providing a lot of competition at Auburn’s 4 position.

“Right now it’s really close. It’s very close,” said AU coach Bruce Pearl. “Jaylin has had a really good fall. Chaney has had a great summer and fall. But he’s big and strong and athletic and powerful and can shoot it and can defend multiple positions.”

Williams, who has played in 107 career games at Auburn, describes it more as a friendly and supportive competition with Johnson, who was the 2023 Gulf South Conference Player of the Year after averaging 15.9 points and 6.6 rebounds last season.

“He's definitely one of the most athletic players I've ever played with … he pushes me in a way that it's not negative. It's so positive,” said Williams. “We'll do a shooting drill. I miss three or four in a row. He's like, ‘Jay, you good. You're the best shooter on the court.’ He just motivates and he's always positive. He's never negative and he's one of the hardest workers.”

Pearl said Johnson has added about 15 pounds since transferring to Auburn this summer. He’s listed 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds on AU’s roster.

“He's a tremendously powerful athlete,” said Pearl. “He has some real strong natural defensive ability. He’s got some real feel … He’s got the athleticism, the size and the explosiveness to be a factor on the defensive end.”

Regardless of who starts, both Williams and Johnson should play plenty of minutes for AU this season. Williams has already demonstrated position flexibility in his career, working at the 5 so they could spend some time on the floor together.

“At the end of the day, whatever happens, he starts, I start, I know either way he's going to push me and I'm going to push him to be the best we possibly could be,” said Williams. “I know it's my last year, but I'm trying to win championships at the end of the day. I can still play 10 more years after this. I'm not trying to over compete for the spot.”

Auburn hosts AUM in an exhibition game Nov. 1. The Tigers open the season against Baylor at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, S.D., Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. CT on ESPN.