Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze made it his goal in Year 1 to get the Tigers back to a bowl game after they missed the bid in 2022. And with Auburn’s sixth win of the season coming against Arkansas on Nov. 11, Freeze and the Tigers punched their ticket to the postseason.

Now, the focus becomes turning a 6-6 season to a 7-6 season as Auburn looks for a postseason win over the Maryland Terrapins in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl on Saturday.

However, when the Tigers and Terps kickoff from Nashville, Auburn’s roster will likely look much different after a handful of players have decided to transfer or opt-out of the bowl game.

The most impacted position groups are at wide receiver and in the defensive secondary as four receivers have decided to transfer away from the program, while a pair of Auburn’s veteran defensive backs are expected to opt out of the bowl game.

So what might Auburn’s depth chart look like in those two position groups?

Wide receiver

Ja’Varrius Johnson, Malcolm Johnson Jr., Omari Kelly and Jyaire Shorter have each announced their intentions to transfer since Auburn’s last regular season game against Alabama on Nov. 25. Of those four, Ja’Varrius Johnson is the biggest loss as he recorded 19 receptions for 347 yards and three touchdowns during the regular season, making him Auburn’s second-leading receiver in 2023.

Auburn’s receiver room is left with Camden Brown, Caleb Burton, Jay Fair, Shane Hooks, Nick Mardner and Koy Moore.

Burton, Fair and Brown are likely to be Auburn’s starters against Maryland as the most productive receivers through the regular season.

In 2023, Burton hauled in 11 receptions for 148 yards, while Brown caught eight passes for 78 yards. Meanwhile, Fair leads the way in terms of returning production after tallying 30 receptions for 300 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Fortunately for the Tigers, they also return tight end Rivaldo Fairweather, who was Auburn’s leading receiver with 33 receptions, 349 yards and six touchdowns.

Defensive backfield

With DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett both expected to opt out of Saturday’s game against Maryland, the Tigers will be without a lot of experience against the Terrapins.

The good news for Auburn is it doesn’t lack young talent in the secondary and even features a handful of players who saw action during the regular season.

Without James and Pritchett, the Tigers will be forced to start new players at both cornerback spots. Auburn junior Keionte Scott, who announced his intentions to return for his senior season on Dec. 11, plans to move to the cornerback spot for the rest of his time on The Plains, beginning in the bowl game.

With Scott filling one of Auburn’s cornerback vacancies, it’s likely Freeze looks to a mix of Kayin Lee, JD Rhym and Colton Hood to fill the second. In the case of Lee, he appeared in all 12 of Auburn’s regular season games.

At safety, the Tigers won’t look a ton different as senior Jaylin Simpson and Zion Puckett both announced their intentions to play in the bowl game, despite them heading to the NFL at the end of the season.

However, with Freeze hoping to use the bowl game as an opportunity to get younger players some playing time, it’s likely that sophomore Caleb Wooden and freshman Terrance Love also see the field against the Terps.