Auburn Spring Football

Auburn defensive end Carl Lawson (55) talks to the media after practice Saturday, March 22, 2014, at the Auburn Athletic Complex in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

(JULIE BENNETT)

Carl Lawson is back.

After being held at bay during spring practices, Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn says the team's promising defensive end has fully recovered from the ACL surgery he underwent on his knee a year ago.

"Carl did everything but the actual live tackling," Malzahn said Wednesday during a Tiger Trek event in Atlanta. "I really believe he's back to 100 percent."

Auburn's defense struggled to reach opposing quarterbacks throughout the 2014 season, but Malzahn expects to improve in that area with Lawson back in the fold this fall.

The 6-foot-2, 257-pounder tallied 20 total tackles with four sacks in 10 games as a freshman in 2013 before injuring his knee last spring. He missed the entire 2014 season with the injury, an experience he described as the "hardest thing I've ever had to do."

Needless to say, he's eager to make his return.

"He's like a breath of fresh air," Malzahn said. "It was extremely challenging to play without him last year. He's an impact player, one of the better defensive players in the entire country and when you don't have him, it's tough. Now that we have him back, it's a good thing, and he's a leader too."

Under new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, Lawson is expected to star at the Buck position, a linebacker-end hybrid. Malzahn said the scheme transition has gone well after 15 practices with the former Florida head coach.

"(Lawson's) really responded well," Malzahn said. "He's bought into what we're doing on the defensive side and he's a team guy. He just does whatever his coach asks. He always has a great attitude. His teammates on both sides of the football have unbelievable respect for him."