During the first half of the Ole Miss game, a change was making its way through the Auburn defense. Almost everyone noticed.

The cause? Carl Lawson was back on the field.

“He’s one of our team leaders and he’s our defensive leader,” Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “When he talks, our guys listen. They respond to him.”

Lawson’s own stats from Saturday’s game don’t jump off the page. The defensive lineman had just one assist. But what he did against Ole Miss cannot be described in numbers. Members of Auburn’s defense simply played better knowing he was there, and Lawson supported them in that venture, creating opportunities for plays to be made.

Now that opponents know Lawson will be on the field – starting with Texas A&M in College Station Saturday night – you can bet he will be part of their game-planning. Just as in his first game of the season, Lawson showed he could do everything from creating gaping holes in the offensive line to ripping past top-ranked linemen. And the Ole Miss offense definitely made adjustments for when he was on the field. Chad Kelly threw more quick screens with Lawson present and they were careful to run the ball away from him.

But while things are going great when Lawson is on the field, how long can he really stay on? On Tuesday, Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp revealed that Lawson said he felt out of shape, a sentiment that can be expected when you’ve just played your first real game of the season. Auburn’s defense seemed fatigued too, losing steam in the second half.

“He’ll get in better shape as he goes,” said Muschamp.

While that is true, what we don’t know is how long Lawson can hold up before another potential injury. Lawson missed all of  2014 with a knee injury. The team was crushed when Lawson went down again in just the first quarter of 2015. After two major injuries, Lawson feels a bit like fragile cargo.

His injury history may affect his future prospects, which is unfortunate considering his talent level. NFL scouts question his durability, and he is starting to be seen as a risky prospect.

With such a limited amount of playing time in college, questions have started to arise around whether he should risk staying another year at Auburn or go pro as soon as possible. Those questions could be answered if Lawson can simply play through the rest of this season at a high level.

The coaching staff will be integral in ensuring he does not strain himself too much too early, and will have to be smart about when to play him. Lawson will also have to be smart himself, communicating to his coaches and his teammates what his limits are.

After all, they’re all in it together.