AUBURN | Auburn brought in Percy Lewis from the transfer portal to shore up the left tackle position.

Tyler Johnson had other ideas.

The redshirt freshman finished off a competitive fall camp listed as the co-starter with Lewis at left tackle.

“I think he’s just really talented,” said AU coach Hugh Freeze. “He’s just young. But he has tremendous length. He has room to get stronger, which will happen over the course of his career. He’s just really athletic, and athletic bodies in this league at that position are vital to try and protect the quarterback.

“He’s one of our better pass protectors, for sure, but has a ways to go in the run game. I think the stronger he gets, the better he’ll be there as his career develops. He’s definitely put himself in position for playing time and we’re excited about that.”

Freeze and offensive line coach Jake Thornton plan to rotate several players on the left side of the offensive line through the first few games of the season to find the right combination.

Johnson, Lewis and Dillon Wade, last year’s starter, will work in at left tackle while Wade, Lewis and redshirt freshman Bradyn Joiner will work at left guard.

“He’s going to be good. He’s going to be really good,” said Lewis of Johnson. “He’s got good feet, good technique. And he’s long too, yes sir, he’s going to be a really good guy.”

Johnson, 6-foot-6 and 320 pounds, was a late flip from Texas Tech to Auburn in the 2023 class. He played in three games last season while redshirting.

“I can't speak more about his growth over the last year,” said Thornton. “Mentally, physically, he's very similar to Too Tall in terms of he just needed a year in the weight room to get it all figured out.

“And he's got his weight up there. He's strong at the point of contact, really good body quickness.”

Auburn opens the season Saturday night against Alabama A&M. Kickoff at Jordan-Hare Stadium is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN+/SECN+.