Nobody expected much from the Plains in 2013. Coming off a 3-9 disaster the year before, the program felt broken. It was a mess. Then Gus Malzahn showed up with a visor and a clipboard, inherited a group of players who had forgotten how to win, and somehow orchestrated the greatest single-season turnaround in the history of college football. When you look back at the 2013 Auburn football roster, you aren't just looking at a list of names and jersey numbers. You're looking at a group of "misfits" and forgotten recruits who ended up being inches away from a national title.
It was weird. Honestly, it was chaotic.
The roster was a fascinating blend of Gene Chizik’s blue-chip leftovers and specific pieces Malzahn brought in to run his "Hurry-Up, No-Huddle" chaos. You had Nick Marshall, a guy who started as a cornerback at Georgia, got kicked out, went to junior college, and then showed up at Auburn to play quarterback. People doubted he could throw. They were mostly right—at first—but it didn't matter because he ran like a deer and had ice in his veins.
The Quarterback Who Changed Everything
Nick Marshall was the heartbeat. Period. He wasn't your prototypical pocket passer, and Auburn fans knew it. He wore number 14 and played with this nonchalant swagger that drove defensive coordinators crazy. Behind him on the depth chart, you had freshman Jeremy Johnson, who looked like the future, and Jonathan Wallace. But Marshall was the guy.
He didn't need to throw for 400 yards. He just needed to make you miss in the open field.
That Backfield Was Pure Punishment
If Marshall was the lightning, Tre Mason was the absolute thunder. Mason finished that season as a Heisman finalist, and if you watch the tape of the SEC Championship against Missouri, you’ll see why. He carried the ball 46 times. Forty-six! That’s not a workload; that’s a heavy-duty construction project. He ended the year with 1,816 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns.
But it wasn't just Tre. The 2013 Auburn football roster was deep at running back. You had Corey Grant, a transfer from Alabama who possessed world-class speed. If Grant got the edge, he was gone. Then there was Cameron Artis-Payne, a tough-as-nails runner who would eventually become the lead dog the following year.
The diversity in that backfield allowed Malzahn to play a shell game with defenses. They used the "Speed Sweep" so often it became a meme, but nobody could stop it.
The Unsung Heroes: The O-Line and H-Back
You can't talk about this roster without mentioning Greg Robinson. He was a mountain at left tackle. A freak of nature. He went No. 2 overall in the NFL Draft for a reason. Alongside him were guys like Reese Dismukes at center—who was basically the grumpy, dirt-eating soul of the offensive line—and Chad Slade and Alex Kozan. This group didn't just block; they bullied people.
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And then there was Jay Prosch.
If you like "old school" football, Prosch was your guy. He was the fullback/H-back who took on linebackers with a violence that felt illegal. He didn't care about stats. He just wanted to clear a path for Mason. Every time you saw a huge hole in the middle of the defense, 35 was usually in the middle of it, leveling some poor safety.
The Defense: Bend, Don’t Break, Then Win
Defensively, Auburn wasn't statistically elite. They gave up yards. They gave up points. But they had a knack for the "big play" when it mattered most. This unit was led by Ellis Johnson, the defensive coordinator with the toothpick who ran a 4-2-5 scheme that confused the hell out of people.
Dee Ford was the star here. He was a blur off the edge. His performance in the BCS National Championship game against Florida State showed just how elite he was, even if the result didn't go Auburn's way. Inside, you had Gabe Wright and Montravius Adams, a freshman who was already showing flashes of being a dominant force.
The secondary featured guys like Chris Davis (remember that name?), Jonathon Mincy, and Robenson Therezie. Therezie was the "Star" in the defense—a hybrid linebacker/safety who led the team in interceptions. They weren't perfect, but they were opportunistic.
The "Miracle" Makers
We have to talk about the plays. The "Prayer at Jordan-Hare" and the "Kick Six."
When Nick Marshall heaved that ball downfield against Georgia, it was Ricardo Louis who caught the deflected pass. Louis was a physical specimen who sometimes struggled with drops, but he caught the one that mattered. That play doesn't happen without the specific personnel on the 2013 Auburn football roster being in the right place at the right time.
And the Kick Six? Chris Davis. 109 yards. Rod Bramblett’s voice cracking on the radio.
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Most people forget that Chris Davis was also one of the best return men in the country that year. He wasn't just a random guy back there. He was an All-American caliber corner and returner. When Nick Saban decided to try that 57-yard field goal, he was kicking to the most dangerous man on the field.
Why This Roster Still Matters Today
Looking back, the 2013 team was a bridge. It bridged the gap between the old-school SEC power run game and the modern spread-option era. They proved that you didn't need a 5-star quarterback who could throw a 70-yard post pattern if you had a group of guys who believed in a system and played for each other.
It was a roster built on second chances.
- Nick Marshall (Georgia transfer)
- Corey Grant (Alabama transfer)
- Nick Paschal
- Various JUCO additions
They were a "team" in the truest sense. They didn't have the depth of a 2024 Georgia or Alabama, which eventually showed in the final minutes against Florida State when fatigue started to set in. But for three months, they were the most exciting thing in sports.
The Legacy of the Names
When you scan the names now, it's impressive how much NFL talent was tucked away on that depth chart.
- Greg Robinson (NFL)
- Dee Ford (NFL Pro Bowler)
- Tre Mason (NFL)
- Cameron Artis-Payne (NFL)
- C.J. Uzomah (NFL Tight End)
- Sammie Coates (NFL)
- Montravius Adams (NFL)
- Shon Coleman (NFL)
- Angelo Blackson (NFL)
It wasn't just a "lucky" team. It was a loaded team that had been mismanaged the year before. Malzahn didn't just bring a new offense; he unlocked the talent that was already sitting in the locker room.
What You Should Take Away From This
If you’re researching the 2013 Auburn football roster, don't just look at the stats. Look at the context. This was a team that was picked to finish near the bottom of the SEC West. They had no business being in Pasadena.
The lesson here is about chemistry and fit. The 2013 Tigers were the perfect storm of a coach’s philosophy meeting the exact right players to execute it. If you have Nick Marshall but no Jay Prosch, the offense fails. If you have Tre Mason but a mediocre left tackle, the offense stalls.
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Every piece mattered.
To truly appreciate what this group did, go back and watch the Iron Bowl from that year. Don't just watch the final play. Watch how the offensive line moved the line of scrimmage against an Alabama defense that was full of future pros. Watch how the defense stood tall in the red zone. That season wasn't a fluke; it was a masterclass in maximizing a specific set of human assets.
How to Explore This Further
If you want to dig deeper into the actual mechanics of how this roster functioned, start by looking at the snap counts for the offensive line. You'll notice they rarely rotated. It was a "ride or die" mentality with the starters.
Also, check out the recruiting rankings from 2010 to 2012. You'll see that while the 2012 season was a failure, the talent was actually ranked quite high. The 2013 success was less about "finding" players and more about "fixing" the culture they were in.
Finally, look at the coaching staff. Beyond Malzahn, you had Dameyune Craig and Rhett Lashlee. These guys knew the roster inside and out. They knew exactly which buttons to push.
The 2013 Tigers remain the ultimate proof that in college football, anything is possible if the roster buys into the chaos.
Next Steps for Deep Research:
- Analyze the 2013 SEC Stat Leaders: You’ll find Tre Mason and Nick Marshall dominating the rushing categories, which is rare for a QB-RB duo.
- Review the NFL Draft Results (2014-2017): Track how many players from this specific roster ended up on Sunday rosters to see the true talent density.
- Watch the "Miracle at Jordan-Hare" Full Game: Pay attention to the defensive rotations Ellis Johnson used to keep the front four fresh for the fourth quarter.