AUBURN, Alabama — Two different players have moved to receiver in at least part-time roles, but it appears one of them has taken on the role full time near the end of spring practices at Auburn.

Running back Devan Barrett has moved full time to receiver, sources tell Auburn Undercover. The move was confirmed further by a picture posted on Twitter by Auburn coach Gus Malzahn, who had dinner Tuesday night with the quarterbacks and receivers. Barrett was not with the running backs Monday night during their dinner with Malzahn.

Barrett is working primarily as a jet-sweep receiver, replacing injured receiver Eli Stove, a source tells Auburn Undercover. Barrett is expected to continue playing that role at the A-Day game on Saturday, which is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. CT inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.

Barrett's move comes on the heels of massive injuries to Stove and receiver Will Hastings. They both could miss the entire 2018 season after undergoing surgeries in March to repair anterior cruciate ligament tears.

Barrett began practicing at receiver Tuesday, a source told Auburn Undercover on Saturday. Quarterback Joey Gatewood has also taken limited snaps at receiver, a separate source said.

Barrett played as a freshman at Auburn, but did so mostly as a receiving option out of the backfield. Nearly every play in which he was inserted at running back resulted in the Tampa native running out of the backfield for a pass. He caught 10 passes for 33 yards and one touchdown while rushing for 79 yards on 14 carries during the 2017 season. He played in 11 of 14 games.

Barrett was part of a five-man race for the starting job at tailback, but that appears to be on hold. The Tigers' top four options for the starting job at tailback are Kam Martin, receiver-turned-tailback JaTarvious Whitlow, Malik Miller and newcomer Asa Martin. Martin is the most experienced running back on the roster, which lost two former 1,000-yard rushers to the NFL in January (Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway).

Auburn was set to return its top five receivers from last season until Hastings and Stove went down with their major knee injuries. Hastings caught 26 passes for 525 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 20.2 yards per catch last season. Stove had 30 carries for 315 yards and two touchdown while catching 29 passes for 265 yards.

Auburn is battling through eight injuries heading into A-Day: receivers Stove and Hastings (ACL); defensive lineman Daquan Newkirk (Achilles); centers Nick Brahms, Kaleb Kim and Tucker Brown Brown; and receiver Shedrick Jackson (undisclosed) and quarterback Jarrett Stidham (shoulder surgery) have been limited for most of the spring.

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