-- Five early enrollees have enrolled at Auburn, started taking classes and preparing to take part in spring practice.Wide receiver D'haquille Williams, safety Derrick Moncrief and interior offensive lineman Xavier Dampeer arrived as junior college transfers, and wide receiver Stanton Truitt and tight end Chris Laye land on campus as true freshmen.Auburn coach Gus Malzahn has given the players two weeks of discretionary workouts before workouts begin with strength and conditioning coach Ryan Russell, but the five early enrollees have a chance to get a head start on competing for playing time.Stanton Truitt racked up nearly 2,500 yards of offense last year at Monroe Area (Ga.) High. (Photo courtesy of 247Sports)"They are all here and off to a good start," Malzahn said. "It s good, especially the junior college players because it s a little easier transition. The high school guys, it s something new."Williams, the No. 1 junior college transfer in the country, is the big prize, a highly-rated wide receiver who had 118 catches for 2,028 yards and 26 touchdowns in two seasons at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College.Moncrief, at 6-3, 226 pounds, instantly becomes the biggest member of Auburn's safety corps, and Dampeer, a 6-3, 300 pounder, is a powerful interior lineman who can play either center or guard."The junior college guys, we expect to make an impact right off the bat," Malzahn said.Truitt, a 5-foot-9, 180-pound athlete in Georgia, projects as a slot receiver in the same mold as Marcus Davis, who made an instant impact at receiver as a freshman.Laye, a 6-foot-6, 225-pounder, projects as a true tight end more than an H-back.The addition of Truitt and Laye brings in the first high school players to enroll early in the Malzahn era. A year ago, Cameron Artis-Payne, Devonte Danzey and Ben Bradley arrived early."We feel like the younger guys, the fact that they re here early that gives them a semester ahead of the other guys," Malzahn said.Auburn's five newcomers can start building relationships with the existing roster, making sure they're a part of the team by the time practice starts in the spring."We ve got a very good support staff," Malzahn said. "Their teammates have already developed relationships with them trying to help them out. That s the great thing about our group, we re a close team and they take care of each other."
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Auburn commitment D'haquille Williams had 11 receptions for 133 yards and three touchdowns for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College on Thursday. (Bobby McDuffie/GulfLive.com)