Auburn Football 2023 Season Preview: OL Tate Johnson

Coming off a breakout season in which he started games for the Tigers at center, Tate Johnson is likely to be a name to know along Auburn football’s offensive line in 2023. Projected to be in the mix for a starting spot once again, what could the 2023 season have in store for Johnson?

Auburn Football 2023 Season Preview: OL Tate Johnson

Johnson originally came to Auburn as a member of the Tigers 2020 recruiting class, where he was rated as a three-star offensive guard out of Callaway High School in Georgia, as well as the No. 496 overall player nationally according to the 247Sports Composite.

As a freshman, Johnson was primarily a reserve along the Tigers offensive front, seeing action in only one game. After not appearing in a game during the 2021 season as well, Johnson would go on to post a breakout 2022 season where he would start at center for the Tigers before suffering an injury later in the year.

Set to return along Auburn’s offensive line as well, what could the 2023 season now include for the junior?

Auburn OL Tate Johnson 2023 Season Prediction

When predicting what the 2023 season could look like for Johnson, it’s likely important to take a look at what the Tigers and new head coach Hugh Freeze did along the offensive line through the transfer portal this past offseason.

Auburn landed multiple offensive linemen through the transfer portal this past offseason, with some of the biggest names of that group such as Avery Jones, Dillon Wade, and Gunner Britton in particular likely among the candidates to start this season. With the addition of these names, there is a chance that Johnson could be pushed back to a reserve role, but the junior should not be completely counted out from starting either.

Overall, Johnson could see time at either center or guard, and should see a noteworthy amount of action this season for Auburn football.