Auburn's Byron Cowart among arrested players who won't miss opener vs. Clemson

Auburn will have two key pieces of its defense when Deshaun Watson comes to town

Auburn's 2016 campaign kicks off on Sept. 3 with a huge SEC-ACC showdown against Clemson. Having a College Football Playoff title contender and an expected top-5 team in the preseason AP poll in town to play under the lights in Jordan-Hare Stadium is a huge opportunity for Auburn.

According to Gus Malzahn, four players arrested during the offseason for marijuana possession won't miss out on that opportunity because of their misstep.

"There has been a decision made," Auburn coach Gus Malzahn announced at SEC Media Days, via SECCountry.com. "Those four men made a mistake, we punished them and they won't miss any time. That's behind us. Four fine young men, they made a mistake and I'm confident they won't make any more."

Defensive end Byron Cowart, defensive back Carlton Davis, wide receiver Ryan Davis and cornerback Jeremiah Dinson were charged with possession of marijuana in the second degree, a misdemeanor written for personal-use possession. They are set to appear in court on July 21.

Cowart, one of the top high school prospects in the country, played frequently in 2015 but only recorded six tackles on the season. The 2016 campaign will be one where more is expected of Cowart, following a season that did not live up to the immeasurable hype.

Davis, on the other hand, was less heralded coming into college, but finished on the SEC All-Freshman team after making nine starts at cornerback, recording 56 tackles and pulling in three interceptions. Having both players in the lineup is necessary for Auburn's defense to be at full strength this fall, especially going up against Deshaun Watson and the high-powered Clemson offense.