Football News: 12-15-2025

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Dec 15, 2025, 8:21:17 AM (11 days ago) Dec 15

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Larry Porter Named Running Backs Coach

By Taylor Bryan

A 29-year coaching veteran, Larry Porter returns for a second stint on the Auburn Football staff as the new running backs coach, head coach Alex Golesh announced Saturday.

"Larry Porter is a great fit for our staff," Golesh said. "When you look at his resume, you see a top-level coach who's developed elite talent everywhere he's been and recruited at the highest level. He's a true professional who understands what it takes to win in the SEC. Larry is going to help our running backs maximize every ounce of their potential. I couldn't be more excited to have him, and his family join us on The Plains."

Porter is back on The Plains following one season as running backs coach at West Virginia in 2025. He previously worked at Auburn from 2017-20 as special teams coordinator and coached the tight ends/H-backs.

Before WVU he served as the running backs coach and special teams coordinator at North Carolina from 2021-24. It was his second stint at UNC after also serving as special teams coordinator and running backs coach from 2014-16.

He is a two-time national recruiter of the year, a three-time Broyles Award nominee, has developed numerous NFL running backs and special teams prospects and has been part of 21 bowl teams since 2002.

During the 2024 season, the Tar Heels were led by two-time All-American and two-time Doak Walker Award finalist and eventual first-round draft pick Omarion Hampton.

Porter also had stints as running backs coach at Texas (2013), Arizona State (2012), LSU (2005-09), Oklahoma State (2002-04), Arkansas State (1999-01) and Tennessee-Martin (1998) and was the head coach at Memphis (2010-11).

Porter developed two 1,000-yard rushers at LSU in Jacob Hester (2007) and Charles Scott (2008) and produced six NFL Draft selections (Hester, Joseph Addai, Quinn Johnson, Charles Scott, Trindon Holliday, Stevan Ridley). He coached 1,000-yard rushers for three straight seasons while at Oklahoma State. In 2004, Vernand Morency earned All-Big 12 honors after rushing for 1,474 yards and 12 touchdowns. A year earlier, Tatum Bell earned first team All-Big 12 honors with 1,286 yards and 16 touchdowns. Morency was a third-round pick of the Houston Texans in 2005 and Bell was a second-round pick by the Denver Broncos in the 2004 NFL Draft.

Prior to his arrival in Stillwater, Porter spent three years at Arkansas State, where he coached Jonathan Adams to back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

A native of Jackson, Mississippi, Porter lettered for four years (1990-93) at Memphis and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in education in 1996. He is a member of the Memphis Athletics M Club Hall of Fame.

Porter and his wife, Sharmane, have three children: sons Brandon and Omari, and daughter, Olivia.

COACHING HISTORY
1998: Tennessee-Martin, running backs
1999-01: Arkansas State, running backs
2002-04: Oklahoma State, running backs
2005-09: LSU, associate head coach/special teams coordinator/running backs
2010-11: Memphis, head coach
2012: Arizona State, running backs
2013: Texas, running backs
2014-16: North Carolina, running backs
2017-20: Auburn, tight ends/h-backs/recruiting coordinator
2021: North Carolina, running backs/assistant special teams coord.
2022-24: North Carolina, special teams coordinator/running backs
2025: West Virginia, running backs
2026-: Auburn, running backs

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Former Auburn WR Coach Marcus Davis Finds New Home in SEC

By Micah Farmer
Auburn Daily

As Alex Golesh finalizes his coaching staff with the Auburn Tigers, one Hugh Freeze assistant has reportedly found a new home in the SEC. Wide receivers coach Marcus Davis will head to the Florida Gators, per On3’s Justin Hokanson on X.

Davis spent three full seasons in the role at Auburn. As part of Florida's staff, Davis will return to the Plains on Sept. 19 as the Gators face the Tigers to open SEC play in 2026.

https://twitter.com/_JHokanson/status/2000323132532683101?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2000323132532683101%7Ctwgr%5Ebee106b6ba5a5de7d52f9ada2242a32b06443059%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fcollege%2Fauburn%2Ffootball%2Fformer-auburn-wr-coach-marcus-davis-finds-new-home-in-sec-01kcfkz5hd7m

Davis has been with Auburn since Dec. 2022, and has proved to be a skilled recruiter at his position. Davis spent his playing days at Auburn, and was on both the 2010 National Championship Team and the 2013 team that made a National Championship Game appearance.

In his time on The Plains as a coach, Davis was responsible for the commitment of two of the highest-rated receivers in Auburn history in Cam Coleman and Perry Thompson. Both players were part of the Tigers’ outstanding 2024 recruiting class at the position, which also included Malcolm Simmons and Bryce Cain.

Though the Auburn offense struggled over the last few seasons through the air, it was rarely due to the lack of receiving skill on the team. Even in a torrid 2024 season on offense, Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith experienced a true breakout season under Davis’ coaching that saw him earn a fifth-round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Chargers.

However, the recent weeks before Davis’ departure saw the room undergo a significant exodus. Perry Thompson was the first to enter the portal, announcing his decision on Dec. 5. Thompson would soon be followed by fellow true sophomore and late-season breakout star Malcolm Simmons, who ended the season with consecutive 140-yard games.

Also entering the portal was former Wake Forest transfer receiver Horatio Fields, who didn’t see much playing time in 2024 due to injury. The losses weren’t just to the portal, either. Auburn suffered a late flip from 2026 4-star receiver target Jase Mathews, who chose to sign with Ole Miss on Dec. 7.

The role of wide receivers coach will be filled by former Auburn running back and national champion Kodi Burns, who will also serve as associate head coach and co-offensive coordinator for the Tigers. It will be the third coaching stint on The Plains for Burns, who also has three years of NFL coaching experience.

Priority number one for Burns will be keeping the two superstars still in the receiving room in Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton Jr. There has been much speculation about whether either will enter the portal, especially in the case of Coleman.

The main threat would seem to be either player following David to Florida. However, the saving grace for Auburn might be the Gators’ two freshmen superstars at the position, Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III, who could potentially be a deterrent for highly-rated transfers at the position.

Regardless of transfer decisions, there is a lot of talent to replace in the room and growth that needs to happen before the 2026 season. Head coach Alex Golesh and Burns should both attack the position in the portal window this offseason.

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Why Alex Golesh wants high school and transfer portal recruiting to ‘meet in the middle’

By Peter Rauterkus
al.com

New Auburn head coach Alex Golesh wants the program to be built on high school recruiting.

In his mind, there’s enough talent in the 250-mile radius around Auburn to build an elite roster with those players out of high school. That doesn’t mean he’s against using the transfer portal, but he doesn’t want to depend on it.

However, Golesh knows that a program made up of elite high school recruits won’t be built overnight. The class he signed in his first week on the job ranked 41st in 247Sports’ team recruiting rankings, placing Auburn 14th out of 16 teams in the SEC.

On top of that, it would be naive to expect every talented player already on the roster to remain with the team in 2026. Coaching changes often lead to roster turnover, as 10 players are already expected to enter the transfer portal when it opens on Jan. 2.

“Our intention moving forward is always going to be to recruit high school kids and develop them and honestly develop them better than anybody in the country and have these guys here for 3-4-5 years,” Golesh said. “The expectation for me and our fan base as well as this administration is to have the very best football team as you can this fall as well. Those have to meet in the middle somewhere.”

Given the circumstances, Auburn will have to dip into the portal more this offseason than Golesh would probably prefer in future years. How much of an emphasis the portal will be depends on what other moves are made in the next two weeks before the portal opens.

That’s not abnormal for even the best programs in college football when there’s a coaching change. When Mike Elko took over at Texas A&M following the 2023 season, the Aggies signed just 16 high school recruits while bringing in 28 transfers.

Two years later, Texas A&M is in the College Football Playoff with a mix of transfers and high school recruits, after the number of transfer signees dipped to 14 the following offseason.

The Hugh Freeze era proved that building through the high school ranks can work at Auburn. Obviously, the results never came, but consecutive top 10 classes made the roster competitive, while the Tigers supplemented in the portal each year.

Golesh will have enough resources to be in a position to replicate that. As long as that remains the case, the bigger question will be whether or not it translates on the field, which never happened under Freeze.

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Xavier Atkins Earns Walter Camp All-America Honors

By Taylor Bryan

Auburn sophomore linebacker Xavier Atkins has been named a second team Walter Camp All-American, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced Friday night.

Houston native Atkins is Auburn's first All-American linebacker Karlos Dansby in 2003. He is the first Auburn player to receive All-America honors from the Walter Camp Football Foundation since Derrick Brown was both a consensus and unanimous selection in 2019.

Throughout his standout season, the 6-foot, 210-pound defender posted impressive numbers, topping Auburn's roster with 84 total tackles while recording a conference-leading 17.0 tackles behind the line of scrimmage and adding 9.0 quarterback sacks.

His performance peaked with 13 tackles during Auburn's victory over Arkansas on the road, marking one of two contests where he registered 4.0 tackles for loss, a feat not accomplished by a Tiger since Stanley McClover nearly two decades earlier in 2005. He brought down quarterbacks twice in three separate games: against Ball State, Missouri, and Arkansas.

On defense, Atkins made several game-changing plays, including a 73-yard interception return versus Texas A&M, forcing turnovers against both A&M and Arkansas, and recovering a fumble in the South Alabama matchup.

His 17.0 tackles for loss set a single season record for an Auburn interior linebacker and represented the highest total by a freshman or sophomore defender since Antonio Coleman's 18.5 in 2007. Both his tackle and sack numbers placed him third across the SEC, with 13.0 of his tackles for loss occurring during conference games, the most in the league.

Atkins is also the first true linebacker to earn First Team All-SEC honors for the Tigers since Deshaun Davis achieved the distinction in 2018.

The Walter Camp Football Foundation – a New Haven-based all-volunteer group – was founded in 1967 to perpetuate the ideals of Camp and to continue the tradition of selecting annually an All-America team. Visit www.waltercamp.org for more information. The Foundation is a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). Founded in 1997, the NCFAA includes college football’s most prestigious awards and its 25 awards have honored more than 950 recipients dating back to 1935.

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Auburn WR Malcolm Simmons plans to enter NCAA Transfer Portal

By Caleb Jones

Auburn wide receiver Malcolm Simmons plans to enter the transfer portal when it opens Jan. 2, Hayes Fawcett of On3 reports.

From Alexander City, Ala., Simmons arrived in Auburn in 2024 as part of the Tigers’ top-10 recruiting class. He made an immediate impact as a freshman, both as a punt returner and wide receiver. He recorded 40 receptions for 451 yards and three touchdowns as a true freshman.

This season, as a sophomore, Simmons tallied 25 catches for 457 yards and three touchdowns, including two consecutive 100-yard games to close out the season. He went for a career-high 149 yards receiving on five receptions with a touchdown against Mercer. One week later, in the Iron Bowl, Simmons led Auburn yet again in receiving yardage with 143 yards on three receptions and a touchdown.

WHAT IT MEANS FOR AUBURN

Simmons is the third wide receiver planning to depart Auburn. Fellow 2024 signee Perry Thompson and Wake Forest transfer Horatio Fields both declared their intentions to transfer earlier this month. That’s now three of the Tigers’ top five receivers planning to exit the program.

Early in the season, Simmons didn’t get the targets or usage in the offense that allowed him to thrive like he did in the final three games. Through Auburn’s first nine games, Simmons had 119 yards receiving on 15 receptions. In the final three games without Hugh Freeze, Simmons tallied 338 yards receiving on 10 receptions.

Losses like this are to be expected, but the door goes both ways. Expect some receivers, perhaps some of South Florida’s top receivers, to be drawn to Alex Golesh and his offense.

Departure impact: Major

GOLESH ON TRANFER PORTAL, ROSTER RETENTION

Auburn head coach Alex Golesh, who arrived on campus Nov. 30, spoke in his introductory press conference Dec. 1 on the transfer portal and roster retention.

“I think the one thing that doesn’t change is this: You have to be able to identify the immediate roster and figure out really, really quickly who fits,” Golesh said. “And by fits, I don’t mean offensively, defensively or special teams, but truly, who wants to be there. Who’s at least got a chance to buy into what you’re doing, understanding that when you come into a situation where the success wasn’t flowing, change has to be made.”

He also touched on the resources available to Auburn in order to recruit and retain talent.

“The investment that has been made from the administration to go and attack every single part of the recruiting is phenomenal,” said Golesh. “Nothing short of phenomenal. We’ve got every resource known to man right here to be able to go attract, recruit, retain and develop the best talent there is in the entire country.”

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Auburn freshman tight end plans to enter transfer portal

By Peter Rauterkus
al.com

Auburn’s already thin tight end room got thinner on Friday, as freshman Hollis Davidson III declared his intentions to enter the transfer portal.

His plans were first reported by On3, and Davidson reposted the report on X (formerly Twitter).

https://twitter.com/TransferPortal/status/1999582368558993570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1999582368558993570%7Ctwgr%5Ee6d80c3af546f36c216e601053289afefbdaae49%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.al.com%2Fauburnfootball%2F2025%2F12%2Fauburn-freshman-tight-end-plans-to-enter-transfer-portal.html

Davidson played one season at Auburn, but did not play in any games. He was arrested prior to the 2025 campaign on a felony charge of possession of a Schedule I controlled substance.

Following his arrest, he was suspended indefinitely and never played in a game, despite returning to team activities.

Davidson was one of two tight ends Auburn signed in its 2025 recruiting class, along with Ryan Ghea. He now becomes one of three tight ends to leave the program, after Brandon Frazier and Tate Johnson exhausted their college eligibility.

As of now, Auburn has three scholarship tight ends on its roster, those being Preston Howard, Ghea and incoming freshman DJ Broughton.

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Auburn backup offensive lineman plans to enter the transfer portal, reports say

By Peter Rauterkus
al.com

The attrition continues for Auburn football, as the Tigers are expected to lose their 11th player to the transfer portal.

Backup offensive lineman DeAndre Carter is the latest Auburn player planning to enter the portal, according to reports from CBS Sports and On3. He spent two seasons at Auburn, but never saw consistent playing time on offense.

Carter played 66 snaps offensive snaps during his two years on the Plains, according to Pro Football Focus, never making the starting lineup. He served as a backup guard behind Dillon Wade and Jeremiah Wright during the 2025 campaign.

If Carter does leave, he’ll become the fifth Auburn offensive lineman to depart, after Wright, Wade, Mason Muphy and Izavion Miller ran out of college eligibility after the 2025 season.

A former four-star recruit, Carter signed with Auburn as a part of its 2024 recruiting class. He played high school football at the prestigious Mater Dei High School and is from Temecula, California.

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Auburn reserve offensive lineman plans to enter the transfer portal

By Peter Rauterkus
al.com

Redshirt freshman Favour Ebuka Edwin became the second Auburn offensive lineman expected to enter the transfer portal on Sunday.

On3’s Hayes Fawcett first reported the news, and Edwin reposted the report on his X (formerly Twitter) account. He spent two seasons at Auburn, but never saw game action.

Edwin joins DeAndre Carter as the second Auburn offensive lineman with plans to enter the portal. Carter’s plans to enter the portal were also reported on Sunday.

With those two planning to enter the portal, Auburn is now expected to lose six offensive linemen from the 2025 roster. Carter and Edwin join graduating seniors Mason Murphy, Dillon Wade, Jeremiah Wright and Izavion Miller.

The transfer portal officially opens on Jan. 2 and will run until Jan. 16.

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Keeping tabs on Auburn players set to enter the transfer portal

By Christian Clemente

It's officially pre-portal season.

While the transfer portal doesn't officially open until Jan. 2nd, players are having meetings with coaches and beginning to declare their intention to enter the portal. At Auburn with a coaching staff change to Alex Golesh, there figures to be plenty of movement this cycle.

Auburn Undercover is keeping tabs on all of the players that have declared their intention to enter the transfer portal here, in a story that will be updated every time there's movement.

LATEST (Dec. 13): Rising junior receiver Malcolm Simmons shared on social media Saturday that he will enter the portal.

The NCAA Division I Administrative Council in October enacted new transfer rules that shifted the way that the portal calendar works for FBS and FCS athletes:

– Instead of the transfer portal window opening in early December, as it had in recent years, it will now stretch from Jan. 2 to Jan. 16.

– The NCAA eliminated the spring transfer portal window.

– Unlike in previous years when graduate transfers could enter at any time through the spring window, they are required to utilize the same Jan. 2 to 16 window as everyone else.

– Previously, players whose school experienced a coaching change were able to enter the transfer portal immediately over a 30-day period. Now, players must wait five days until a new coach is hired to trigger a 15-day window. That window is triggered only if a coaching change happens after Jan. 2.

OL Favour Ebuka Edwin

Eligibility: RS-Freshman

Season Stats: N/A

A young football player who originally moved to America from Nigeria and played basketball, Favour Ebuka Edwin picked up football in high school and became a recruit that plenty of top schools wanted to get their hands on. Edwin did not appear in any games during his two seasons on the Plains, though, and worked on scout team in practice.

IOL DeAndre Carter

Eligibility: RS-Freshman

Season Stats: 12 game appearances

A highly-ranked recruit coming out of California, Auburn had to battle some heavyweight schools to land DeAndre Carter. He played sparingly as a freshman, but worked on special teams units and was in the two-deep at guard during his second season with the program. Carter likely would've had a chance to compete for a starting spot at guard next year, but instead is on the move and headed elsewhere.

WR MALCOLM SIMMONS

Eligibility: Junior

2025 season stats: 25 rec, 457 yards, 2 TDs

Simmons came on strong in Auburn's last two games of the season against Mercer and Alabama, totaling nearly 300 yards and both of his touchdowns for the year. In the Tigers' 10 prior games, Simmons had just 17 catches for 165 yards. The former 4-star prospect was part of the "Freeze Four" receiver signees in the 2024 class, of which there are only two remaining: Cam Coleman and Bryce Cain.

QB JACKSON ARNOLD

Eligibility: Senior

2025 season stats: 1,309 yards, 63.3%, 6 TDs, 2 INTs

It came as no surprise that Arnold will hit the portal after the way his lone Auburn season ended. The Oklahoma transfer started the Tigers' first nine games before being benched in the Arkansas win for Ashton Daniels. Arnold was a project for Hugh Freeze to rehabilitate with the Tigers' offensive talent, and it simply didn't pan out.

RB Damari Alston

Eligibility: RS-Senior

2025 Season Stats: 32 carries, 128 yards, 1 TD

Dealing with a neck injury after the Baylor season opener, Damari Alston missed several weeks before returning for the first three games of SEC play. Following the Georgia game, what was his fourth game of the season, he requested to redshirt and work on scout team to maintain his final season of eligibility. It ended in divorce as Hugh Freeze chose to remove him from the team saying, "Damari failed to meet the standards and expectations of our program." Alston spent three seasons on the Plains as the backup running back to Jarquez Hunter before being expected to take over lead duties this season. He split carries with Jeremiah Cobb this season before departing the team.

DL Antonio Coleman

Eligibility: RS-Freshman

2025 Season Stats: N/A

A Top247 recruit coming out of high school in the 2025 recruiting class, Antonio Coleman was on the smaller side and worked as a defensive end in spring practice before sliding back inside to defensive tackle for preseason camp. During camp he was suspended indefinitely for violation of team rules and spent the season on scout team, not appearing in any games and not part of the travel roster or dressing for games. His recruitment was a wild one, committing to Alabama, flipping to Auburn, flipping back to Alabama and then flipping back to Auburn all before his senior season.

CB Raion Strader

Eligibility: Senior

2025 Season Stats: 9 tackles, 3 PBU

A former All-MAC player at Miami-Ohio for two seasons, Raion Strader was a coveted cornerback in the transfer portal last offseason. Auburn fought to land his commitment last December, looking to add competition and depth to a cornerback room that ended the 2024 season pretty depleted. Strader arrived in Auburn and went through spring practice and started the year as the third cornerback, but ended up as the fourth cornerback and more of a depth piece rather than a rotational piece once it was all said and done. Now he's set to look for a new home for his final season of eligibility.

WR Perry Thompson

Eligibility: Junior

2025 Season Stats: 17 catches, 154 yards

A 5-star recruit that was committed to Alabama when Auburn first went after him, Perry Thompson was one of the biggest wins on the trail in recent memory when he flipped to the Tigers. It was a battle to keep him in the fold on Signing Day as Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide kept pushing, but Auburn held on. His impact was limited as a freshman as he adjusted to the college game, arriving as a summer enrollee. When Horatio Fields went down with an injury, Thompson stepped into a larger role in the offense as a sophomore, but still worked as the Tigers' third receiver.

WR Horatio Fields

Eligibility: RS-Senior

2025 Season Stats: 12 catches, 106 yards, 1 TD

One of the most sure-handed receivers on the team, Horatio Fields transferred in from Wake Forest for his final season of college football to help be a leader and add to a talented, but young room. A broken foot in practice derailed that after the fourth game though, costing him the rest of the season. Fields did make it back on the practice field for the final couple weeks of the season, but did not play and was able to preserve a medical redshirt for another year of eligibility. That final season of eligibility will now be spent elsewhere.

DB A'Mon Lane-Ganus

Eligibility: RS-Freshman

2025 Season Stats: N/A

The first commitment of the 2024 class back when Bryan Harsin was on staff, A'Mon Lane-Ganus was a blue-chip recruit who just didn't quite find his footing in the secondary during his time at Auburn. He appeared in four games as a freshman primarily on special teams and redshirted. He didn't play much as a sophomore and didn't record a stat during his two seasons as a Tiger.

TE Hollis Davidson III

Eligibility: RS-Freshman

2025 Season Stats: N/A

A reserve tight end who dealt with injuries when he first arrived on campus and then a suspension in preseason camp following an arrest, Hollis Davidson III is on the move after one season on the Plains. After getting suspended, Davidson spent the year working on scout team in practice and did not appear in any games. He redshirted and will have four years of eligibility remaining at his next stop.

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Alex Golesh finding players who ‘love Auburn’ amid transfer portal exodus

By Jerry Humphrey III
al.com

As more Auburn football players announce their plans to enter the transfer portal, Alex Golesh has been building his roster with guys who 100% want to be at Auburn.

With the intention of not overhauling the previous roster, Golesh talked about some of the things he’s learned in a few of his meetings with the players.

“There’s no script to it at all. But at some point, in every conversation, I asked the guys like, ‘Hey, you like it here? Or do you love it? What do you think of this place?’ Because 100% of them have seen more of Auburn and have experienced Auburn more than I have at this point,” Golesh said. “I think the thing that’s really cool is every single guy that I’ve met with says, ‘I love Auburn.’ Not like, ‘Yeah it’s cool,’ but I love Auburn. I’ve never been at a place where 100% of the guys say that.”

https://twitter.com/i/status/1998411547320754209

Auburn has 12 players entering the transfer portal, which opens from Jan. 2-16. However, with Auburn being Golesh’s second stint in the SEC after serving as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator from 2021-2022, he’s taking the information he learns about the Plains with a grain of salt.

“Every single one of them talks about what gameday’s like here. Every single one of them talks about how the student body treats them as they walk around. And my response to all of them is exactly the same man,” Golesh said. “Like, can you imagine what the hell it’s going to be when we actually win? Like, if it’s that good now, holy smokes. Like, what about when we win?”

Golesh’s 23-15 record in his three seasons as a head coach speaks for itself, as he was responsible for making USF a relevant program from 2022-2025.

Previous USF coach Jeff Scott went 4-29 in his three years in Tampa. Golesh went 7-6 in each of the first two years before leading USF to a 9-3 season this past year.

The Bulls finished the regular season second nationally in total yards per game, as the Tigers’ offense ranked 75th nationally in points per game and 80th in total yards per game in 2025.

His 2-0 record in bowl games gives Auburn fans the confidence that his success could translate quickly to the Plains. But for Golesh, wins and losses start from a buy-in from every person on the roster and coaching staff.

“Each guy has had their own story and their own experience here. But ultimately, we talk about telling them who you are, what you’re about, and you give them your vision for what this is, but you talk about your previous experience,” Golesh added. “Some of those conversations are 15 minutes. Some have been an hour. Some have been at six in the morning. Some have sat there till one in the morning. It is what it is. But at the end of the day, I’m energized by the fact that every single one of them loves this place.”

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Auburn star defensive lineman declares for the NFL Draft

By Peter Rauterkus
al.com

One of Auburn football’s leaders and top defensive players is officially off to the NFL.

Junior defensive lineman Keldric Faulk officially declared for the NFL Draft on Saturday, making the announcement in a post on Instagram.

https://www.instagram.com/darealkel04/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=3a27a97a-a11c-4b28-8a73-15f9577ce728

The announcement is unsurprising, as Faulk is a projected first round pick by most draft experts. ESPN’s Mel Kiper ranked him 16th overall in his latest NFL Draft big board.

Faulk spent all three of his collegiate seasons at Auburn, first cracking the starting lineup as a freshman in 2023. He quickly became an important piece of the Tigers’ defense and held onto that starting role for all three years.

The 2024 season was Faulk’s most productive, finishing the year with 45 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, seven sacks and one forced fumble. On top of those impressive numbers, he ranked eighth in the SEC with 45 total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

After three years, Faulk finishes his college career with 73 total tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and 10 sacks.

Faulk was a captain during the 2025 season and was often talked about as one of the team’s best leaders.

"He’s one of the best players in the country. But he’s our hardest worker, he leads by example in everything he does," said defensive coordinator and former interim head coach DJ Durkin. “He’s one of the best teammates, or probably our best teammate on the field. He values every relationship he has with his teammates.”

In Faulk’s draft announcement, Durkin was among the Auburn coaches he thanked, along with defensive line coach Vontrell King-Williams and former edge rushers coach Roc Bellantoni.

Faulk becomes the first Auburn player with college eligibility remaining to declare for the NFL Draft since the 2025 season ended.

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Former Auburn receiver scores his first NFL touchdown

By Mark Inabinett
al.com

Entering Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs, Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith had a 1-yard reception to show for his rookie season.

But on Sunday, the former Auburn standout’s second NFL reception produced his first touchdown.

Lambert-Smith caught a third-and-3 pass from quarterback Justin Herbert for a 15-yard touchdown as the Chargers cut the Chiefs’ lead to 13-10 with five seconds left in the first half.

https://twitter.com/i/status/2000288809812947401

Lambert-Smith’s first NFL score came in frigid conditions at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. The temperature for kickoff was 17 degrees.

Lambert-Smith became the 102nd Auburn alumnus to score a touchdown in an NFL regular-season game.

Lambert-Smith joined Los Angeles in the fifth round of the NFL Draft on April 26 after he had 50 receptions for 981 yards and eight touchdowns for Auburn. Lambert-Smith transferred to the Tigers following four seasons with Penn State.

Before Sunday, Lambert-Smith had been on the field for 58 defensive snaps and 24 special-teams plays in six games this season.

In addition to his one reception, Lambert-Smith had a 24.3-yard average on nine kickoff returns in 2025 before Sunday, and he ran back three for 74 yards in the first half against Kansas City.

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Auburn NFL roundup: Tank Bigsby gets busy in Eagles’ victory

By Mark Inabinett
al.com

The Philadelphia Eagles didn’t confine their running back to All-Pro Saquon Barkley in their attempt to end a three-game winning streak. Philadelphia also found work for Tank Bigsby as the Eagles beat the Las Vegas Raiders 31-0.

Bigsby ran for 766 yards and seven touchdowns on 168 carries for the Jacksonville Jaguars last season. But Jacksonville traded Bigsby to Philadelphia one game into the 2025 season.

Bigsby entered Sunday’s game with 168 yards on 19 rushing attempts in 12 games with the Eagles.

Against the Raiders, Bigsby ran for 57 yards on 17 carries while Barkley went for 78 yards on 22 carries.

But in his busiest game of the season, Bigsby wasn’t able to put a cherry on top of the Eagles’ victory: The Raiders stopped him on fourth-and goal carry at the Las Vegas 1-yard line with 1:55 to play.

Bigsby was among the 19 former Auburn players who got on the field on the 15th Sunday of the NFL’s 106th season.

Three other former Auburn players were involved in the Las Vegas-Philadelphia game:

Raiders kicker Daniel Carlson was limited to the opening kickoff.

Raiders wide receiver Shedrick Jackson (Hoover) did not record any stats. Las Vegas elevated Jackson from its practice squad to make him eligible to play.

Raiders defensive tackle JJ Pegues did not record any stats.

In the other Sunday games:

Chicago Bears 31, Cleveland Browns 3

Browns tight end Sal Cannella is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

Houston Texans 40, Arizona Cardinals 20

Texans defensive tackle Marlon Davidson (Greenville) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

Cardinals linebacker Eku Leota is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

Owen Pappoe made four tackles.

Jacksonville Jaguars 48, New York Jets 20

Jaguars linebacker Jalen McLeod is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

Jamien Sherwood started at linebacker for the Jets. Sherwood made eight tackles.

Jaguars offensive tackle Kilian Zierer is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

Los Angeles Chargers 16, Kansas City Chiefs 13

Chargers long snapper Josh Harris handled the snaps for four punts, three field goals and one extra point.

Chargers wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith caught a 16-yard touchdown pass and returned four kickoffs for 93 yards. Lambert-Smith’s first NFL touchdown came on a pass by quarterback Justin Herbert as Los Angeles cut Kansas City’s lead to 13-10 with five seconds left in the first half.

Buffalo Bills 35, New England Patriots 31

Carlton Davis started at cornerback for the Patriots. Davis made four tackles, recorded one tackle for loss and broke up two passes.

Washington Commanders 29, New York Giants 21

Noah Igbinoghene (Hewitt-Trussville) started at cornerback for the Commanders. Igbinoghene made five tackles and registered one quarterback hit.

Commanders cornerback Jonathan Jones was designated as a game-day inactive. A rib injury kept Jones out of the lineup.

Darius Slayton started at wide receiver for the Giants. Slayton had four receptions for 53 yards.

Denver Broncos 34, Green Bay Packers 26

Bo Nix (Pinson Valley) started at quarterback for the Broncos. Nix completed 23-of-34 passes for 302 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions as Denver won its 11th game in a row. Nix threw touchdown passes for 20 yards to Michael Bandy as Denver took a 7-6 lead with 8:19 left in the first half, 5 yards to wide receiver Lil’Jordan Humphrey as the Broncos took a 14-13 lead with 1:56 left in the first half, 14 yards to wide receiver Courtland Sutton as Denver reduced Green Bay’s lead to 23-21 with 9:07 left in the third quarter and 23 yards to Troy Franklin as the Broncos took a 27-23 lead on the final snap of the third quarter.

Packers safety Jaylin Simpson is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham dressed for the game but did not play.

Packers quarterback Malik Willis dressed for the game but did not play.

Colby Wooden started at defensive tackle for the Packers. Wooden made three tackles.

Los Angeles Rams 41, Detroit Lions 34

Rams running back Jarquez Hunter was designated as a game-day inactive.

Rams cornerback Roger McCreary (Williamson) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

Lions safety Daniel Thomas (Lee-Montgomery) made one tackle on defense and one tackle on special teams

New Orleans Saints 20, Carolina Panthers 17

Derrick Brown started at defensive end for the Panthers. Brown made four tackles.

Seattle Seahawks 18, Indianapolis Colts 16

Seahawks outside linebacker Derick Hall made three tackles and registered one quarterback hit.

Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett (Jackson) did not record any stats.

Colts offensive tackle Braden Smith is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

San Francisco 49ers 37, Tennessee Titans 24

Titans linebacker Dorian Mausi did not record any stats.

Minnesota Vikings 34, Dallas Cowboys 26

Cowboys tight end Rivaldo Fairweather is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

Vikings linebacker Austin Keys made one tackle on special teams.

Week 15 started on Thursday night, when the Atlanta Falcons defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 29-28.

Week 15 concludes on Monday, when the Miami Dolphins and Pittsburgh Steelers square off at 7:15 p.m. CDT at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. ESPN will televise the game.

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