-- Finding the horses to make his running game effective has never been a problem for

Gus Malzahn

.

In seven years at the collegiate level, Malzahn's offense has produced nine 1,000-yard rushers, a product of both the offense's commitment to the running game and the ability of the athletes under his charge.

What makes Malzahn's running game interesting is its ability to fit any type of runner, an adaptability that bodes well for Auburn's trio of current running backs and the two still on the way.

"The running back position was a position we were a little concerned about depth wise coming in, but

Cameron Artis-Payne

and

Corey Grant

both had very solid springs," Malzahn said as the Tigers wrapped up spring. "Of course, we know what we have with Tre."

Tre Mason

, who was limited for parts of the spring due to an ankle injury, brings a little bit of everything to the table. A 1,000-yard back as a sophomore, Mason has good vision, the burst to get through the hole and enough size to run between the tackles.

"Tre, he's a little more balanced," offensive coordinator

Rhett Lashlee

said. "He'll run it up in there, he's not a speed guy, but he's got good speed, he's probably the best of the three at making people miss in the open field, and he catches the ball really well."

Mason's lack of repetitions in the spring hurt more in pass protection. An attentive learner who picks up the offense quickly, Mason didn't have enough reps in the offense to nail down the details of his duties away from the ball.

An attentive learner, Mason dressed for every practice and soaked up information from Tigers' running backs coach Tim Horton, but he didn't get enough reps to really take a leap forward in pass protection.

Other than those reps, Mason's injury might have been a blessing in disguise. With Mason out, Artis-Payne and Grant got extensive work, allowing both to establish themselves in the offense.

Artis-Payne, the

, started slowly as he

, but the heavy workload gave him a chance to get up to speed quickly.

By the time A-Day rolled around, Artis-Payne had already established what he brings to the table, a contender for carries who could also play a key role in short-yardage situations.

"Cameron, you can see, he will go downhill, he finishes well with his pads down, he was probably the most consistent running back in pass protection," Lashlee said. "You can tell, when you get rolling, he can get those pads north and south."

Grant offers the home-run ability, a level of speed that could earn him a role either at running back or out of the slot on the speed sweeps that have been a staple of Malzahn's offense in the past.

His speed

.

"He's our home-run guy," Lashlee said. "If he gets a crease, he's probably going to take it the distance."

Auburn running back Cameron Artis-Payne prepares for the snap during the Tigers' practice Wednesday. (Julie Bennett/al.com)

Auburn still has two more backs on the way:

Peyton Barber

, a big inside runner, and

Johnathan Ford

, an all-around threat on the perimeter.

Now that the Tigers have gotten the basics installed, Auburn's coaching staff can start planning how to use its suddenly deep stable of running backs next fall.

And that suits Auburn's running backs just fine.

"We do notice that and we see how we compliment each other," Mason said. "We like putting it together and it’s going to be fun when we get to sub in and out.

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