Move out of the way upperclassmen, young bucks are making their mark on the Plains.

Six true freshmen have seen the field so far this season for Auburn. That means their redshirts are gone, and they’ll keep playing.

Auburn expects them to get better and help the team in a brutally tough SEC West division where depth could be key down the stretch.

“We feel good about it,” head coach Gus Malzahn told reporters earlier in the week. “We think the guys who have played will all have a chance to really help us. We think they’ll get nothing but better.”

Duluth, Ga. native Nick Ruffin has had the biggest impact thus far for the Tigers. Ruffin played 28 snaps in the win over Kansas State in both the Tigers’ 3-3-5 and star packages. He recorded two tackles and helped stabilize a safety position that was somewhat in flux.

“We played our six DB package quite a bit as the game flowed on,” defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson said. “Nick played really well.”

Malzahn believes that the most impact from the newcomers will be on special teams. Speedster Roc Thomas is expected back deep on kick return alongside Corey Grant in the coming weeks.

“I’m always thinking special teams,” Malzahn said. “In special teams, we’ve talked about quality depth in fall camp and before the season, and that’s a big part of it. We feel good about the guys who have played, and really how they’ve played.