Continuity is rare in modern college football.
In the age of the transfer portal, it’s becoming harder to hold on to a core group of players of players for multiple seasons. It’s even tougher to keep an entire position group intact season over season.
That’s what Auburn did going into the 2025 season, returning all five starting offensive linemen from the 2024 season.
“It just brings stability,” Auburn offensive line coach Jake Thornton told reporters Monday. “They know how to go practice. They know the level of intensity they have to practice because they’ve done it before in a live setting.”
Along with the returners, Auburn also added experienced tackles Mason Murphy and Xavier Chaplin out of the transfer portal. Chaplin’s addition at left tackle allows Dillon Wade to slide back inside to guard, a position Auburn wanted him to play last season.
He moved back outside early in the season, but Chaplin gives Auburn a proven, high-level blocker at left tackle, which should keep Wade at his more natural position.
Murphy could be in competition with returning right tackle, Izavion Miller, for the other tackle spot. Thornton also said that they’re working on having Miller play both left and right tackle, which creates even more possible lineups up front.
Along with what the continuity does for the strength of the unit, it’s also helpful for chemistry, something that’s critical up front.
Senior guard Jeremiah Wright says that chemistry has largely been built through activities away from football. Whether it’s going out with the group to Buffalo Wild Wings or simply having conversations about non-football topics, Wright says the closeness was built off the field.
“It’s just a lot with you sitting down and getting to know a person’s background, not just always football,” Wright said. “Seeing how that person would be able to respond when things not going good. You can talk to that person and know their ”why,” and why they play football.”
Wright was one of Auburn’s anchors up front in 2024 and is going into his sixth season with the program. He, along with Wade, Miller and Connor Lew are going into 2025 with multiple years of starting experience at Auburn, something not many teams have.
Add in Chaplin, who started two seasons at Virginia Tech, and Murphy, who has 22 career starts, and Auburn has one of the most experienced offensive lines in the country.
Experience doesn’t automatically make a group elite, but it can help avoid the early-season growing pains that teams can hardly afford up front.
Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at prauterkus@al.com
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