The strength of Auburn's offense during the Gus Malzahn era has been the rushing attack, with the Tigers averaging an SEC-best 262.8 yards per game on the ground during that span. That strength will be no different this season with an established backfield combination of Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson.

While those two will command the bulk of the workload this fall -- and more than likely keep the program's streak of 1,000-yard rushers alive and well -- they could both feasibly be gone after the 2017 season, with Pettway's departure more likely than Johnson's. So, with the possibility of Auburn losing its top two running backs after this year, what does the future look like at the position for the Tigers?

Behind Pettway and Johnson, the team has considerable depth in the form of sophomores Malik Miller, who showed some promise before a knee injury sidelined him in 2016, and Kam Martin, whose speed proved valuable in a limited role last season, as well as incoming freshman Devan Barrett, a four-star home-run threat. As Malzahn noted this spring, however, "you cannot have enough" depth at the position in the SEC, and the Tigers will look to bolster that depth with their 2018 recruiting class.

"We're going to probably sign one, maybe two that you would call athlete... but then I think we'll take one true running back," Auburn running backs coach Tim Horton said in April.

As it stands, Auburn has one of those such players already committed to its 2018 class: three-star all-purpose back Shaun Shivers. At 5-foot-7 and 169 pounds, Shivers is unlikely to be an every-down back at Auburn, but could fit more in that "athlete" role that Horton described.

After visiting campus in early February, Shivers said Auburn likes him in that versatile role on offense, where he could see some touches out of the backfield but also move to the slot at receiver and try to get the ball in open space.

"(The athletes) may not fit in the running back category," Horton said. "That might get you an extra number that they can play running back, they can play receiver, they can play DB. They may want to hear running back right now, but give them a shot at running back; if they're not good enough, they're probably going to be good enough to play wide out or DB."

Still, that leaves one or two spots for Horton to fill this cycle, with Auburn needing to add one true running back.

Auburn just missed out on three-star running back Master Teague III, who committed to Ohio State on Sunday, but the Tigers remain in the mix for several top targets at the position.

Chief among them are four-star in-state running back Asa Martin and four-star Bainbridge, Ga., running back Dameon Pierce, a former Alabama commit who visited Auburn last weekend. Martin is a 6-foot, 195-pounder who is ranked as the No. 7 running back in the country, while Pierce is a 5-foot-11, 205-pounder rated as the nation's No. 9 overall running back.

The Tigers are also pursuing three-star prospect Tae Provens out of Madison County. The 5-foot-11, 187-pounder could play running back or fit into that athlete category, and he is scheduled to announce a commitment on Aug. 11 between Auburn, Tennessee, LSU, South Carolina and Louisville. Another possibility is four-star Mountain Brook running back Harold Joiner, though LSU is the favorite for the four-star prospect.