We're going position-by-position looking at Auburn's potential lineup for 2010. Read the quarterbacks and running backs posts if you missed them.

Now for the wide receivers ...

WHO'S GONE?

• Starters: None
  
• Reserves: Tim Hawthorne, John Cubelic
  

WHO'S COMING BACK?

• Seniors: Terrell Zachery, Kodi Burns, Jay Wisner
• Juniors: Darvin Adams, Quindarius Carr, Ralph Spry, Derek Winter
• Sophomores: DeAngelo Benton, Emory Blake, Anthony Gulley, Travante Stallworth, Philip Pierre-Louis
  
• Redshirt Freshmen: None
• Incoming freshmen: Trovon Reed, Jeremy Richardson, Shaun Kitchens, Antonio Goodwin
  

And tight ends ...

WHO'S GONE?

• Starters: Tommy Trott
  
• Reserves: Gabe McKenzie
  

WHO'S COMING BACK?

• Seniors: None
• Juniors: Bailey Woods
  
• Sophomores: Philip Lutzenkirchen
  
• Redshirt Freshmen: Robert Cooper
• Incoming freshmen: Dakota Mosley

It's a safe assumption that no group out-performed its preseason expectations more than Auburn's starting wide receivers. Adams and Zachery both turned into reliable threats after not doing much their first few seasons on the Plains. Adams is on the cusp of being a star, having set the school's single season record for catches with 60 for 997 yards and 10 touchdowns (if only that fourth-down catch would have counted in the bowl game, he would have had a 1,000-yard season). Zachery, meanwhile, emerged as a big-play threat in the air (26 catches, 477 yards, 5 touchdowns) and on the ground (nobody will forget his long touchdown run on an end around against Alabama). In all, not a bad year for the duo, especially when it was assumed Hawthorne and Montez Billings would be the two major players in the rotation.

But where to look beyond Adams and Zachery? That's Auburn's big question heading into next season. Of the other receivers, Blake led the way with nine catches for 66 yards. Benton has immense potential (receivers coach Trooper Taylor said he would re-write the Auburn record book before he was done here), but didn't show it on the field, finishing with six catches for 88 yards. Wisner was an excellent blocker who did the dirty work but rarely chipped in with any receptions. Burns is what he is: a nice toy to use as a passing threat from anywhere on the field, but he's not a true receiver. And Carr had two catches all year, but they were both big ones, making you wonder where he was all year.

So who will step up next season? Well, Adams and Zachery aren't going anywhere, meaning opportunities will be limited for another receiver to make a major impact. It stands to figure that with a year in the program -- with the extra film work, meetings, practices and strength training that goes with it -- will help Benton and Blake a lot. Both have huge potential. And that usually doesn't manifest itself right away with at the receiver position, especially when there are people preventing you from getting on the field (Adams and T-Zach are perfect examples). There are exceptions to that rule -- A.J. Green at Georgia, Julio Jones at Alabama -- but they are rare. I would expect both Benton and Blake to emerge as solid receiving options.

But it seems like everyone else should be able to contribute. Stallworth seemed to be finding a niche in the offense before he suffered a season-ending knee injury. How he recovers from that will surely affect his role in the offense. And although the coaches seem unsure exactly what to do with Gulley, you can't overlook his play-making potential. Every time he touches the ball, good things seem to happen (even if it did happen against Furman). The bottom line is that with the four true freshman from this year turning into sophomores, offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn will have plenty more viable options at his disposal. And we've all seen the things he can concoct when he's got some options.

Which leads me to believe it will be hard for the four true freshmen receivers coming in to get immediate playing time. If ever there was a time for a freshman to step in and contribute immediately, it was this year. And to varying degrees they did. But it was nothing major. Reed, Richardson and Goodwin are all four-star receivers and come in with considerable hype. But so did Benton and Blake, who were both four-star receivers themselves. And look how hard it was for them to get on the field in any meaningful way. Now that depth doesn't appear to be an issue for the receiving group and the two starters are firmly entrenched, it would surprise me if a true freshman has a big impact next year, unless his talent is so overwhelming that coaches can't keep him off the field.

As for tight ends, here's what the Tigers have: Lutzenkirchen. Pretty simple. Trott is gone and it has been assumed all along that the multi-talented Lutzenkirchen will take the reins. And with good cause. Coaches loves his upside and his versatility. He seems able to block and move in space. And most importantly, he looks like he can impact the game as a receiver, something Trott never did in a major way during his career. Woods is a long snapper by trade, Cooper will continue his transition to tight end after playing pretty much every other position in high school and Mosley will be a project. That's not many options for Auburn in terms of using a true tight end, so Lutzenkirchen looks like he'll be on the field quite a bit.