Nick Marshall

Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall (14) celebrates with fans following their 43-38 win over Georgia during the second half of an NCAA college football game in Auburn, Ala., Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

-- Before the dust

, the attention has already turned to the Tigers' 2015 efforts, an effort that got off to a good start with the

.

Bridges is already the second junior college transfer in Auburn's 2015 class, joining

Jason Smith

, another Mississippi Gulf Coast and McGill-Toolen product who was originally supposed to be a part of the Tigers' 2013 recruiting class as a freshman before academic issues forced him to the junior-college level.

Auburn coach

Gus Malzahn

has shown no qualms about signing junior college transfers in his first two classes. In 2013, Malzahn inked six from the junior-college ranks, followed by five last Wednesday.

When the Tigers target a junior college player, the coaches are looking for an immediate impact.

"Any time you go junior college, you think about filling an immediate need," Malzahn said on Signing Day. "Sometimes it’s to start; sometimes it’s just depth. So after you evaluate from year to year, you have to fill in the pieces."

With that in mind, it's worth taking a look at what the Tigers' six junior college signees provided Auburn in 2013.

STAR POWER

Nick Marshall, QB

Marshall turned out to be everything Auburn's offense needed and more. Mired in a slump at quarterback since

Cam Newton

's Heisman campaign -- the Tigers started four separate quarterbacks over two seasons -- the Tigers turned to Marshall in training camp, and the former Georgia cornerback and Garden City (Kan.) product merely led Auburn to an SEC Championship and a spot in the BCS National Championship Game. Marshall completed 59.4 percent of his passes for 1,976 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions, rushed for 1,068 yards and 12 touchdowns and directed four fourth-quarter comebacks. Malzahn is fond of saying that everything on his teams starts with the quarterback, and Marshall turned a position of uncertainty into a position of strength. Marshall's addition alone is a glimpse of what the right junior college signing can do for a program.

CLEAR CONTRIBUTORS

Cameron Artis-Payne, RB

Artis-Payne finished fourth on the team in rushing, picking up 610 yards and six touchdowns on an average of 6.7 yards per carry. Initially part of a running back committee at the beginning of the season, Artis-Payne's workload diminished as the Tigers got deeper and deeper into SEC play, but the former Allan Hancock (Calif.) product offered Auburn a capable backup behind its Heisman Trophy finalist.

Ben Bradley, DT

Bradley, brought in to provide immediate help at another position that had struggled in 2012, dropped weight, got himself into playing shape and then earned a spot in

Rodney Garner

's deep rotation at tackle, making 14 tackles, a sack and five quarterback hurries, as well as combining with

Angelo Blackson

to strip

Jameis Winston

in the national title game. Bradley's addition and emergence as a big body inside became even more important when the Tigers lost

Jeff Whitaker

for the season due to knee surgery.

JURY'S STILL OUT

Devonte Danzey, G

Danzey, who arrived at Auburn with three years of eligibility left, couldn't beat out

Alex Kozan

-- who became a Freshman All-American -- at left guard, and played some as a backup to both Kozan and

Chad Slade

on the right side, although when Kozan was banged up in-game midway through the season, backup center

Tunde Fariyike

took over.

Brandon King, S

King, a possibility at Star, played in all 14 games on special teams, making seven tackles, including three tackles against LSU as he spelled

Robenson Therezie

at the Star position. As the season progressed, though, King fell behind freshman

Mackenro Alexander

at the spot, and he wasn't able to fill the gaps at safety when

Josh Holsey

went down with an injury.

Kenny Flowers, LB

Used mostly as a special-teamer, Flowers had some problems picking up the defense and fell behind at linebacker, where he played sparingly. With

Cassanova McKinzy

,

Kris Frost

and

Anthony Swain

back -- and five-star prospect Tre' Williams, along with other youngsters, on the way -- Flowers has to make a big leap in the offseason to earn a bigger role.