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Auburn football players Jeremiah Dinson, Ryan Davis, Carlton Davis and Byron Cowart were arrested for possession of marijuana in April. (Illustration by Wes Sinor/wsinor@al.com)

The four Auburn football players arrested for possession of marijuana in April will not miss any playing time.

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said cornerbacks Carlton Davis and Jeremiah Dinson, defensive end Byron Cowart and wide receiver Ryan Davis, have all been "punished" for their arrests on misdemeanor possession of marijuana during a traffic stop on April 30 in Auburn.

"Those four young men made a mistake; we punished them and they won't miss any time," Malzahn said at SEC Media Days at the Wynfrey hotel in Hoover on Monday. "That's behind us. They're four fine young men, they made a mistake and I'm confident that they won't make any more."

Malzahn declined to elaborate as to what the punishment entailed for the players, all of whom are entering their sophomore seasons at Auburn.

Previously, players cited or arrested for possession of marijuana during Malzahn's three-plus year tenure as Auburn head coach have missed at least some playing time.

Former cornerback Jonathon Mincy missed the opening series of the 2014 season opener after being arrested for possession of marijuana in June of that year. Former quarterback Nick Marshall missed the first half of that same game after being cited for possession during a traffic stop in July 2014.

Malzahn said the four players in the most recent incident will not miss any playing time, compared to the more severe penalties of Mincy and Marshall, "because that's what I decided to do and I think that's the right thing to do." He said the fact that Auburn opens with reigning ACC champion and national runner-up Clemson had "zero" impact on his decision-making process.

Malzahn's punishments for such offenses seem to have gotten progressively less severe after former safety Demetruce McNeal was dismissed from the program less than a day following his arrest for possession of marijuana in Aug. 2013.

The four players arrested in April are facing Class A misdemeanors, which carry a penalty of no more than a year in jail and up to a $6,000 fine. They are due in court at 8 a.m. July 21.

"(The legal process will) be taken care of with that end," Malzahn said, "just from a team standpoint, like I said, they made a mistake, we punished them, they're fine kids and I expect them to not make any more."

In May, wide receivers coach Kodi Burns said Auburn "already addressed everything" with the four players involved. A month later, defensive line coach Rodney Garner said each of the players involved were "remorseful" about the incident.

Carlton Davis, an All-SEC Freshman team honoree last season, had 56 tackles, three interceptions and eight pass breakups in 2015. He is expected to retain his starting job.

"I think he's got very good character," Malzahn said. "He's a very good football player. He's a young guy. What he did last year in our league, you're talking about going against some much the best wide receivers, week in and week out."

Cowart, who was a five-star prospect and the top-ranked recruit in the country in the 2015 signing class, is expected to have a larger role at defensive end this fall after making six tackles and six hurries as a true freshman.

Dinson had 15 tackles before his season-ending knee and shoulder injuries at Texas A&M.

Ryan Davis had one touch last season on a trick play at Texas A&M, which went for 28 yards.