Linebacker leaves team
Linebacker JaViere Mitchell has received his degree and will not return for his senior season at Auburn.
AUBURN | Javiere Mitchell has elected to leave the football team and will not return for his senior season, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn confirmed Tuesday.
"JaViere Mitchell is a guy that’s graduated, and he’s chosen not to come back for next year," Malzahn said. "He’s ready to start his life and his career. He did a great job for us the last three years."
Mitchell is the fourth player to leave Auburn’s football team since the end of the regular season. Senior offensive lineman Will Adams has transferred to Boise State, senior defensive end Gimel President will transfer to Illinois in May and sophomore tight end Chris Laye has left the team after appearing in three games in two years.
The loss of Mitchell leaves the Tigers thin at the linebacker position heading into the start of spring practice Tuesday as they look to replace three departing seniors in Cassanova McKinzy, Kris Frost and Justin Garrett.
Junior Tre’ Williams is Auburn’s most experienced linebacker with four career starts. Also returning with very limited or no playing experience are junior Cameron Toney, sophomore Deshaun Davis, sophomore Darrell Williams, redshirt freshman Richard McBryde and true freshman Tre Threat, who enrolled in January.
Sophomore Montavious Atkinson, who is up to 210 pounds, is expected to move to linebacker this spring and compete for a starting position.
"Tre Williams is the one guy, he’s kind of the veteran of the group right now," Malzahn said. "We feel good about these young guys. There is nothing better than getting reps in the spring and all those young guys are going to have an opportunity to show what they can do. Of course we’ve got some guys we feel very good about."
Graduate transfer T.J. Neal will enroll in May after compiling 109 tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss and two sacks as a junior at Illinois.
Mitchell played in 39 career games at linebacker and on special teams including one start against San Jose State last season. Mitchell finished with 39 career tackles, 2.0 tackles-for-loss and 1.0 sacks.
A native of Leeds, Ala., Mitchell graduated in December with a Bachelor of Science in Fitness, Conditioning and Performance.