The departures of Derrick Brown, Marlon Davidson and others meant Auburn’s 2020 team leaders had some big shoes to fill.

“A lot of times, it’s always interesting from a coaching standpoint to see — who does the team respond to? Who do they listen to?” Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn said on the Auburn Alumni Association’s recent AMBUSH at Home event. “I think from a coach’s standpoint, strategically, we’ve got to help that, we’ve got to facilitate that.”

Even without a traditional spring practice period, Malzahn shared that two players have already stepped up as leaders of this year’s team.

“Before we left (due to the spring sports shutdown), it started to come up that Bo (Nix) and K.J. Britt were really rising to the top,” Malzahn said.

Nix is entering just his second year on campus but appears up to the task.

“He’s taking that next step as a leader. It’s getting to be his team,” Malzahn said of his quarterback. “I really think that’s going to be important. I think we’re in good hands with his leadership.”

While quarterbacks are often leaders of the whole time, few Tigers will be surprised that a veteran defender is taking on more of a leadership role as well.

“He’s a team leader, too,” Malzahn said of Britt. “It’s getting to be his team, too.”

The full AMBUSH at Home stream with Malzahn, basketball coach Bruce Pearl and radio voice Andy Burcham can be viewed here.

[H/T Auburn Sports]