Stephen Davis Jr.

Stephen Davis Jr. at The Opening in Oregon last summer. (Wesley Sinor/wsinor@al.com)

(WES SINOR)

Auburn's backfield depth took another hit on Sunday.

Freshman Stephen Davis Jr. will not play this season, Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn announced. Davis, a late addition to Auburn's 2016 signing class, hasn't fully recovered from a knee injury he sustained during his senior year of high school.

Davis, a three-star athlete out of South Carolina, was originally listed as a defensive back on Auburn's roster but was working with the running backs during the first two days of practice. He arrived late to practice on Saturday, according to offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, and on Sunday he was off to the side stretching with injured players during the open viewing period.

Malzahn said that Davis, the son of former Auburn running back great Stephen Davis, has confidence issues with his surgically repaired knee. As a senior at Dutch Fork High in Irmo, South Carolina, Davis tore his ACL and MCL three games into the season after making the move from defensive back to running back. Early during his senior season, the 6-foot-3, 206-pounder had a 202-yard, seven-touchdown performance for Dutch Fork.

Instead of bolstering Auburn's depth in the backfield in the wake of the dismissal of running back Jovon Robinson, Davis will spend the 2016 season rehabilitating his knee.

"I think at this point right now the freshmen that have a chance to play this year, fall camp is very important and just the confidence and all that," Malzahn said. "He'll rehab and hope to have him back in the spring."