Football News: 5-13-2026
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Dudley Dent
May 13, 2026, 8:05:32 AM (yesterday) May 13
to Tiger Tracks
Auburn Football News: 5-13-2026
Three Reasons Auburn Could Exceed Expectations in 2026:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/three-reasons-auburn-exceed-expectations-2026-01krecx3yh2s
2027 four-star offensive lineman includes Auburn in top six teams:
https://auburnwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/auburn/football/2026/05/12/auburn-football-recruiting-jj-brown-top-six/90039542007/
ESPN views 3 former Auburn stars as late-round NFL Draft gems:
https://flywareagle.com/espn-views-3-former-auburn-stars-as-late-round-nfl-draft-gems-01kreg1z6d80
Kick time set for Auburn vs. Baylor in Aflac Kickoff Game:
https://auburntigers.com/news/2026/05/12/kick-time-set-for-auburn-vs-baylor-in-aflac-kickoff-game
Kickoff time, TV channel announced for Auburn’s 2026 season opener:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/05/kickoff-time-tv-channel-announced-for-auburns-2026-season-opener.html
Kickoff time, TV set for Auburn's season opener vs. Baylor:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/auburn-football-schedule-baylor-game-tigers-time-2026-285080953/
Time, Network Revealed for Auburn Football’s Opening Matchup Against Baylor:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/time-network-revealed-auburn-football-opening-matchup-against-baylor-01krf765x13h
The 3 most important Auburn assistant coaches for 2026:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/05/the-3-most-important-auburn-assistant-coaches-for-2026.html
What a Successful Auburn Season Looks Like Under Alex Golesh:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/what-successful-auburn-season-under-alex-golesh
Auburn Tigers College Football Preview 2026:
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/auburn-tigers-college-football-preview-214456759.html
Auburn Jumps in Race for 2029 Prospect:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/recruiting/auburn-jumps-in-race-for-2029-prospect-01krf41x9hx3
New York Giants on Auburn prospect: ‘We want to be thick in the middle’:
https://www.al.com/sports/2026/05/new-york-giants-on-auburn-prospect-we-want-to-be-thick-in-the-middle.html
Three Reasons Auburn Could Exceed Expectations in 2026
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Daily
The Auburn Tigers have been in a historic rut since they fired Gus Malzahn, who has found two other jobs and retired in the time since the Tigers last had a winning season in 2020. Projections for this year’s team, now under Alex Golesh, have been all over the place, though most predictions have settled around a five-to-seven-win range.
That being said, it is safe to assume that the Tigers are not looking to be simply on par for this upcoming season, and for good reason. Auburn Tigers on SI takes a look at three major reasons why the Tigers can surpass expectations.
This year, Golesh has built a backfield that has already made history, even before two of the three expected major contributors have recorded a stat in an Auburn uniform. For the first time in Auburn history, the Tigers have three rushers entering the season with 1,000+ career rushing yards, a testament to Golesh’s recruiting abilities.
Between Auburn returner Jeremiah Cobb, Baylor transfer Bryson Washington and USF transfer quarterback Byrum Brown, the Tigers’ backfield is set to be one of the best in recent memory. Golesh has been clear that the Tigers will lean heavily on the rush this year, and he has certainly put the pieces in place to terrorize the SEC.
It is no secret to just about anyone in the SEC that DJ Durkin can put together a scary defense. After all, two of his edge rushers were taken in the NFL Draft just weeks ago, while his linebacker room, which earned award after award throughout last season, returns in nearly full form headed into 2026.
Couple that linebacker dominance with new top-tier transfers like Da’Shawn Womack, an edge rushing transfer from Ole Miss, and the Tigers seem poised for yet another dominant season on defense. Admittedly, Auburn’s secondary had its weak moments last year, but Durkin has already begun to work with top transfers like Scrap Richardson, who could prove to be the downfield difference in 2026.
Auburn’s offense never really found its stride last year; the Tigers’ quarterbacks struggled, the rushing attack was weak at best and despite top-level receiving talent, the Tigers struggled to put points on the board. Though Golesh has yet to coach a game for Auburn, his previous offensive credentials certainly bode well for the Tigers’ offensive future.
In Golesh’s first season as the offensive coordinator at Tennessee, back in 2021, the Vols’ offense shattered eight different production records, including rushing first downs, touchdowns, points scored and total first downs. If he, along with his offensive coordinator Joel Gordon, can bring some of that high-flying offense to the Plains, the Tigers will be set up well for a strong season.
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2027 four-star offensive lineman includes Auburn in top six teams
By Phillip Jordan
Auburn Wire
On Monday, 2027 four-star offensive lineman JJ Brown narrowed his list of teams down to six. Auburn, along with Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, and Kentucky, made the list according to Benjamin Wolk of 247Sports.
Brown has also announced that he will make official visits to four of the schools, according to 247Sports. He will make an official visit to Auburn on June 12th. He has visits set for Clemson on May 29, Georgia on June 5, and Kentucky on June 19th. He has not announced when he will make an official visit for the Gators and Seminoles.
Currently, the 2027 recruiting class for Auburn is ranked No. 39 with six commits. The class received a big boost on Saturday with quarterback Gary Chatman Jr. announcing his pledge to the Tigers. They currently have only one offensive line commitment, three-star Jaylon Moore. So, landing Brown will be a big momentum boost for Auburn recruiting.
Brown is a four-star prospect out of Parkview High School in Georgia, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He is currently rated as the No. 32 offensive tackle in the 2027 recruiting class and the No. 35 player in Georgia.
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ESPN views 3 former Auburn stars as late-round NFL Draft gems
By Brian Stultz
Fly War Eagle
The prospects picked in the first round of the NFL draft are usually expected to make an immediate contribution for their team as a rookie. It’s why, out of all the players who enter the draft, they are the ones who hear their names called on the first night and are paid more money than everyone else.
But as we have seen in the past, sometimes it is those who go in the later rounds who make even more of a difference. Those hidden gems emerge from every draft, and whether it's Tom Brady, Brock Purdy or Puka Nacua, they earn their way into the starting lineup by showing what they are capable of during offseason workouts and fall camp.
ESPN’s Field Yates recently published his picks for the guys who were second or third-day picks who could see playing time early and often for their new team, and three of them are former Auburn players.
Jeremiah Wright, Keionte Scott and Bobby Jamison-Travis looked at as late gems
He starts with Jeremiah Wright, the longtime starter on the Tigers’ offensive line, who was selected by the New Orleans Saints with the 132nd overall pick in the fourth round. Yates points out Wright’s physicality with his 6-foot-5, 331-pound frame, and he is especially effective in the running game.
Keionte Scott, who found new life with the Miami Hurricanes this past season and helped lead them to the national championship game, went in the fourth round with the 116th pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While Yates and many thought Scott would go earlier, the former Auburn nickleback has proven how explosive he can be, picking off Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and returning it for a touchdown in the Hurricanes’ upset victory over the Buckeyes in the playoffs. Yates expects Scott to see immediate playing time.
The last is Bobby Jamison-Travis, who didn’t put up major numbers in his senior season on the Plains (36 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two passes broken up and one quarterback hurry), but Yates loves his length and size at 6-foot-4, 322 pounds, and his ability to stop the run to earn him playing time on early downs for the New York Giants.
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Kick time set for Auburn vs. Baylor in Aflac Kickoff Game
By Wade Rackley
The 2026 Aflac Kickoff Game featuring Auburn and Baylor at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta will begin at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC, the network announced Tuesday.
The Tigers are playing in Atlanta for the first time since 2018 and making their fourth appearance in the Aflac Kickoff Game (2012, 2015 and 2018).
The contest will mark the sixth all-time meeting between Auburn and Baylor following the Tigers’ 38–24 victory in Waco on August 31, 2025.
Additional kick times and television window designations for the 2026 season will be announced in the coming weeks.
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Kickoff time, TV channel announced for Auburn’s 2026 season opener
By Peter Rauterkus
al.com
As the 2026 Auburn football season inches closer, ESPN revealed game times and channel information for all of its games in Week 0 and Week 1 on Tuesday.
The Tigers will begin the season against Baylor, as the first game the Alex Golesh era is officially scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on Sept. 5 and will be televised on ABC.
The game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, after Auburn opted to have the game moved from Jordan-Hare Stadium to be part of the Aflac Kickoff Game.
Being part of the Aflac Kickoff Game will provide Auburn with extra third-party NIL opportunities. In an interview with AL.com, Auburn athletic director John Cohen said it would have been “irresponsible” not to make the move.
Auburn and Baylor’s 2026 matchup is a rematch of last season’s season opener in Waco. The Tigers won that game 38-24. This year will be Auburn’s fourth appearance in the Aflac Kickoff Game, with the Tigers holding a record of 2-1 in the game.
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Kickoff time, TV set for Auburn's season opener vs. Baylor
By Nathan King
It won't be in Jordan-Hare Stadium, but Auburn still figures to have a big home-crowd advantage in the first game of the Alex Golesh era.
The Tigers will kick off against Baylor at 2:30 p.m. CST on ABC, as announced Tuesday as part of a slate of Week 0 and Week 1 games by ESPN.
The season opener was originally set to be the return game of a home-and-home with Baylor, started last season with a 38-24 win in Waco, before Auburn opted to move the game to Atlanta for the Aflac Kickoff Game. Auburn expects to garner approximately $8 million for its NIL funds — $4 million from Aflac, and another $4 million if the Tigers sell out their ticket allotment.
Auburn will play three Power Four opponents in the first four weeks of the season, facing Southern Miss at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Week 2 before back-to-back SEC home games against Florida and Vanderbilt.
With Golesh replacing Hugh Freeze, Auburn overhauled a large portion of the roster that won last year's season opener in Waco. Baylor went on to finish 5-7, putting head coach Dave Aranda back on the hot seat. The Bears lost several offensive contributors — including running back Bryson Washington, who transferred to Auburn — and will need to fix a defense that was No. 122 nationally in scoring.
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Time, Network Revealed for Auburn Football’s Opening Matchup Against Baylor
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Daily
The Auburn Tigers officially have a time and date for their opening day matchup in 2026, as they will take on the Baylor Bears in the Aflac Kickoff Game on Sept. 5. On Tuesday, the university announced an official kick time at 2:30 p.m. CT and that the game will be broadcast on ABC.
https://twitter.com/AuburnFootball/status/2054314039921021258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2054314039921021258%7Ctwgr%5E324b94ab1f65a43d346e27f9c6506d333bf5589e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fcollege%2Fauburn%2Ffootball%2Ftime-network-revealed-auburn-football-opening-matchup-against-baylor-01krf765x13h
The game, which will be held in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, will mark the sixth meeting of the two programs, a series in which Auburn holds a 2-2-1 record. The most recent matchup between these two teams was just last year, in which the Tigers traveled to Waco and took down the Bears, 38-24, to start the 2025 season.
In that matchup, Jackson Arnold dazzled with his legs, rushing for 137 yards and two touchdowns in what ultimately became one of the Tigers’ only wins on the season. This year, another rushing quarterback is expected to take the forefront, as USF transfer Byrum Brown will make his Auburn debut against the Bears.
Another top-level rusher is expected to make waves in this matchup, as Bryson Washington, who was a part of the Baylor squad the Tigers took down last year, transferred to Auburn this past offseason and will make his Auburn debut against his former program.
With the Bears, Washington rushed for 1,861 yards over three years and even led the Bears in rushing in their matchup last year with Hugh Freeze’s Tigers. He will look to continue the trend of lead rushing in season openers, though he will have to impress over Jeremiah Cobb, a senior Auburn returner who is expected to be the Tigers’ starter this year.
This matchup will be a great first look at what Alex Golesh has been working on over the past few months, as the new Tigers head coach has had to completely revamp his offense from the ground up. The Tigers’ offense returned just one starter, the aforementioned Cobb, and as a result, all ten other offensive starting positions will be populated by new Tigers.
There have been many questions about how Auburn will perform during the season, particularly after a lackluster spring game performance from Brown, so this game will be an opportunity for the Tigers to prove their doubters wrong and start their season on a high note.
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The 3 most important Auburn assistant coaches for 2026
By Jerry Humphrey III
al.com
Auburn football coach Alex Golesh described his staff as elite when putting it together ahead of his first season at the helm of the program.
On both sides of the ball, Auburn has assistants that come in with tons of coaching experience across the collegiate and professional ranks.
Here are three of the most important assistants on Golesh’s first coaching staff at Auburn:
Kodi Burns, associate head coach/receivers coach
Kodi Burns will have a huge hand in Auburn’s new-look offense this year after coaching alongside Golesh at Tennessee and South Florida.
In Burns’ first season as Tennessee’sreceiverss coach in 2022, the Volunteers produced their first 1,000-yard receiver since 2012 in Cedric Tillman. Burns also coached future NFL draft picks Jalin Hyatt and Velus Jones Jr. while at Tennessee.
Burns is back coaching at his alma mater, and five of his USF wide receivers came with him and Golesh to Auburn. The Tigers have not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Ronney Daniels in 1999 and have only seen two players surpass that mark in school history (Terry Beasley in 1970 being the other).
“As a wide receiver that’s when you want to go eat. Our offense is wide open. We’re going to take what the defense gives us,” Burns said. “We’re going to have a lot of opportunities for receivers to go one-on-one and be out in space. That’s when we operate at a high clip and why there has been success dating back to us at Tennessee and coach Golesh at UCF and also USF.”
Tim Banks, safeties coach
Auburn’s secondary unit gave up more than 2,600 total yards, 1,300 yards after the catch and 15 total touchdowns in 2025.
A big part of that came from a drop-off in safety play, which prompted Auburn to bring in former Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks.
Banks and Golesh worked together at Tennessee in 2021 and 2022, when Golesh was the Vols’ offensive coordinator. They were also on the same staff at Illinois from 2012-2015, where Golesh coached tight ends and Banks was the defensive coordinator.
“He’s helping us better things we messed up on last year,” safety Kaleb Harris said of Banks during the spring. “He’s building our confidence back up and get us back to the level we can play at.”
Harris, Sylvester Smith, AnQuon Fegans and Eric Winters all played significant snaps last season and each of them are returning in 2026.
Vontrell King-Williams, defensive line coach
One of two coaches to remain on Auburn’s staff from the Hugh Freeze era, Vontrell King-Williams saw three of his former players (Keldric Faulk, Keyron Crawford and Bobby Jamison-Travis) selected in the NFL Draft last month.
In 2025, the Tigers finished the season ranked 12th nationally in rushing yards allowed per game. King-Williams also has been a key figure on the recruiting front, helping secure major additions from the transfer portal and high school ranks.
Auburn’s defense as a whole is expected to excel under the tutelage of defensive coordinator DJ Durkin. However, King-Williams’ impact on the defensive line will be vital to the Tigers’ continued success upfront.
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What a Successful Auburn Season Looks Like Under Alex Golesh
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Daily
As Alex Golesh begins his tenure as the new head coach of the Auburn Tigers, no one seems to be sure what exactly to expect from this season. After all, Auburn fans are quite used to getting their hopes up, just to be disappointed down the road.
So, what does a successful season in Golesh’s first year look like? There are plenty of ideas and suggestions, but in my eyes, there are three key factors that build a ‘successful’ season under Golesh.
Win Total
The Tigers still have not had a winning season since Gus Malzahn was fired in 2020, despite working through two other coaches in Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze. For Golesh to consider this season a success, the Tigers obviously need to have a winning season, though a barely bowl-eligible season (6-6) with a bowl win would suffice if it really came down to it.
The problem with settling for a 6-6 regular season record, though, is that it would only be deemed ‘successful’ because the Tigers of late have just been that bad. Though many would view a bowl game as a big step up for the Tigers, I think Auburn needs to have a true winning season, with seven to eight wins, before a bowl game, at a minimum, to consider the first season under Golesh a success.
Competitiveness in Big Games
Just about every Auburn fan has two games circled on the calendar every year, regardless of how good the Tigers are: Georgia and Alabama. These two rivalry matchups are among the most famous in the south, and the Tigers have struggled to find their footing in these games across recent years.
Though it is definitely a reach, at this point in the season, to say that Golesh needs to win one of these high-ticket matchups for the season to be considered a success, a win against Alabama and/or Georgia would certainly put the Auburn faithful’s minds on the fast track to considering Golesh as a long-term option.
However, for this season to be deemed merely a success, I believe the Tigers simply need to be competitive in these games. After all, Georgia and Alabama, as usual, are projected to be two of the best teams in football next year, and the Tigers are working with an almost entirely unique offense, so keeping those games within a score would be a great look for the future of this Auburn team under Golesh.
Get blown out in one or both, though, and regardless of the rest of the season production, there will be quite a few eyebrows raised towards Golesh.
Offensive Identity
Golesh has put himself in an interesting position by bringing in Byrum Brown, who is the most highly anticipated quarterback the Tigers have had in some time. Of course, Brown could be one of the best quarterbacks in football this season, especially now that he is a part of an SEC program, but if he struggles, there will be many questions raised, even if the Tigers are still able to put together a decent win total.
Additionally, Golesh has been quite emphatic that he is going to emphasize the run in his offense, and he has built a backfield to match. Like Brown, then, expectations are high for Auburn’s rushing attack, which has been quite dormant over recent years.
I say all of this to say: Golesh will not be able to rely on DJ Durkin’s defense, which will likely once again end up as one of the best units in the SEC, to carry his offense through games if he wants his season to be deemed a success. Particularly in early-season matchups against teams like Baylor, Florida and Vanderbilt, the Tigers will need to put up some big offensive numbers if Golesh’s new offense is to be trusted.
Of course, any improvement over these points is obviously still a win, and these are simply the items I believe Golesh needs to achieve at a bare minimum for Auburn fans to consider his first year at Auburn a success.
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Auburn Tigers College Football Preview 2026
By Pete Fiutak
College Football News
There was once a time when Auburn football just meant more.
It won the 2010 national championship, played in the final BCS Championship after one of the most thrilling seasons ever, and it had a few nice seasons in 2017 and 2019.
And then the program lost its mojo.
The Tigers went 33-40 over the last six seasons, and they’re currently on a funky streak of five straight seven-loss campaigns. Only a horrendous 9-35 run from 1946 to 1950 was worse, but those teams get a post-world-war break.
But after a fat run of blah in the College Football Playoff era so far, going 83-69, now it’s time to have some fun.
The hiring of former USF head coach Alex Golesh may or may not work, but no matter what, this certainly won’t be boring.
Auburn matters again because, if nothing else, it’s going to have the offense that no one wants to deal with.
Auburn Quick Hits
Head Coach: Alex Golesh (4th year overall, 23-15; 1st season at Auburn)
Best Case / Worst Case: Auburn stays in the hunt for the CFP all season long/A sixth-straight seven-loss season
Key Player: Byrum Brown, QB Sr.
2025 Record: 5-7
Biggest Question: Can Golesh start winning the big games he didn’t win at USF?
Auburn Key 2025 Stats
Penalties: Auburn 93 for 764 yards, Opponents 69 for 630 yards
Sacks: Opponents 42 for 257 yards, Auburn 30 for 188 yards
1st Quarter Scoring: Auburn 73, Opponents 43
Offense
If you enjoyed the Auburn offense that struggled to push the passing game down the field, couldn’t move the chains, and seemed a bit sluggish, then you’re not going to like what’s coming.
Last year’s Tiger attack finished 79th in the nation in total offense. Last year’s South Florida offense under Golesh was No. 3 in total yards, averaging 489 per game, and No. 5 in scoring, averaging 40.5 points per game.
And if you’re one of those types who enjoys a pounding, time-of-possession owning attack, kindly look elsewhere, because …
What’s Working
This thing goes at warp speed. Auburn might finish dead last in the nation in time of possession - that’s just the way this offense works. Golesh’s teams go fast, fast, FAST, with a rhythm that needs players who know how to handle the timing.
Golesh brought over 11 players from last year’s Bulls’ offense, including most of the stars.
Byrum Brown knows how to handle the new Auburn attack. A four-year veteran at USF, he missed time hurt over the span, but he was in total command last season with 28 touchdown passes and over 1,000 rushing yards with 14 scores.
And finally, the Tigers will have a downfield passing game again.
The Auburn wide receiving corps is loaded. Keshaun Singleton, Jeremiah Koger, Chas Nimrod, and Christian Neptune all made the move up from Tampa - they were four of last year’s top five receivers with the Bulls.
Singleton is the star of the show, but this is a deep group with plenty of talented young players to go along with the veterans.
What Needs Work
The offensive line has to prove it can get the job done. Last year’s Tiger line was awful in pass protection and couldn’t do much of anything for the ground game. There’s an overhaul happening now, but it might take all of fall camp to put the puzzle together.
Former USF center Cole Best is a sure thing at center, James Madison transfer Jo Simmons will take over one of the tackle spots, and former Oregon State tackle Jacob Strand will be a good swing tackle until Michigan State’s Stanton Ramil is back from an offseason injury.
Yeah, the new staff brought in a ton of good talent, but Auburn lost a whole slew of more talented guys.
Quarterback Deuce Knight would’ve been perfect for the attack, but he’s at Ole Miss. Cam Coleman is a far better NFL prospect than any receiver coming in, and now he’s at Texas, and leading receiver Eric Singleton is at Florida. Xavier Chaplin would’ve been the team’s best tackle, but he took off for Florida State.
Here’s the problem. Yes, the offense will explode and put up big numbers. However, when it bogs down, and the chains aren’t moving - like in last year’s USF blowout loss to Miami, and in the tough 18-16 comeback shocker over Florida - the defensive side gets taxed hard.
USF only had the ball for 24 minutes against the Hurricanes and for just over 25 minutes against the Gators.
Player to Watch
Byrum Brown, QB Sr.
The staff brought in Tristan Ti’a from Oregon State if something happens to the main man, but Brown has been banged up a bunch over his career. When he’s right, though, he can be among the best all-around quarterbacks in college football.
Defense
There’s an extremely smart mix of things happening on the defensive side of the ball.
Auburn might not have done much offensively last year, but the defense fought the good fight under coordinator DJ Durkin. The stats don’t do the Tigers justice, finishing 29th in the nation in total defense - they were more effective than that.
They had a good pass rush, kept plenty of games close, and only the 45-38 loss to Vanderbilt got out of hand. Durkin is back, along with a slew of decent parts from last year’s bunch. The transfer portal is a huge help here.
What’s Working
The linebackers are fantastic. It’s a deep and loaded group starting with veteran Xavier Atkins, who was among the best in the nation last year with 17 tackles for loss, nine sacks, and a team-high 84 stops.
Da’Shawn Womack was a tremendous hybrid pass-rushing prospect signing from Ole Miss, and there are more than enough options to work into a rotation.
Auburn might be even better at safety. Kaleb Harris was a baller at one spot - making 50 tackles last year - and AnQuon Fegans and Sylvester Smith are back after working their way into the rotation. There are more than enough options to keep trying out.
The run defense was a rock. Alabama, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt were the only three teams that averaged more than 3.3 yards per carry. The back seven/eight has enough returning to keep the production going.
What Needs Work
There aren’t any real issues with the line. It’ll be fine, and there’s depth, but there isn’t a sure-thing star, especially on the inside. The pass rush will take care of itself from all of the other parts, but on the inside, this should be more of a strength-in-numbers thing against the run.
Safety is a huge strength for the secondary, but the corner situation needs some tweaking. Rayshawn Pleasant had a few nice moments last season, and there’s upside with some of the new guys - particularly UCLA’s Andre Jordan - but overall, the position got hammered hard by the portal.
Again, and this can’t be stressed enough, the style of offense will be a burden at times. When Auburn goes three-and-out in 14 seconds, there won’t be a lot of long breaks.
Auburn wasn’t great at the time of possession battle last season, and the defense held up. The depth will be taxed right away.
Player to Watch
Xavier Atkins, LB Jr.
A smallish, tweener safety/linebacker who was once a great recruit for LSU, Atkins was a monster, earning First Team All-SEC honors. He doesn’t have to do it all alone, but he’s the game-wrecker everything will work around.
Keys to the Season
Make it all blend together.
Take the USF offense of last year, mix it with the 2025 Auburn defense, and somehow make it all work just fine.
All of the new parts should fix most of the problems on the offensive side, and now it’s up to the defense to keep the team in games like it did last year.
Player Who Needs To Shine
Alex McPherson, PK Sr.
Can he be ultra-reliable again? He had one off day last season - going 1-for-4 against Missouri, but it was in a 23-17 home loss. Those were his only three missed field goals of the season.
Auburn might be vastly improved, but it’s going to be in a bunch of nailbiters again, which is why …
Biggest Concern
Win the tight games.
The program is 1-13 in its last 14 one-score games.
There were plenty of chances to win games, but the team couldn’t figure out how to do it. Auburn outscored teams 83-56 in the fourth, but was outscored 13-0 in the two overtime games.
Out of the seven losses, six were by seven points or fewer, and the 20-10 loss to Georgia was tight throughout.
Biggest Game
at Tennessee, October 3
It’s one of those hidden SEC things that gets a little bit lost on a national scale. This is a long-time rivalry game going back to 1929. However, it’s been all Auburn lately.
The two schools haven’t played since 2020 - a 30-17 Tiger win. The Vols won in 2018, but AU won the previous six dates going back to 1999.
This year, it’s Auburn’s first SEC road game. With at Georgia, LSU, and at Ole Miss next, the winning trend can’t stop.
Transfer Portal
If you noticed a whole lot of USF references through this, there’s a reason. At the moment, 13 former Bulls are coming over with Golesh to fill in the gaps right away.
There’s an even bigger haul of new talent than that, though, and it was needed because of the bulk loss of players to other schools.
Close to 30 players left the program with the coaching change, but going by sheer bulk, the transfer portal was a net positive for the Tigers.
Best Signing
Byrum Brown, QB (USF)
Auburn lost far more elite transfer prospects than it brought in, but Brown is the one who matters the most. If he can make the Tiger attack move like the USF offense of last year … kaboom.
Biggest Loss
Cam Coleman, WR (Texas)
If he’s not No. 2 behind Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith on every list of top wide receiver prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft, he’s close. He’s a big playmaker with speed, and now he gets Arch Manning throwing to him.
Other Names to Know
Jeremiah Koger, WR (USF)
Da’Shawn Womack, EDGE (Ole Miss)
Bryson Washington, RB (Baylor)
CFN Season Prediction
So, yeah, Golesh took over a 1-11 program and won seven games in his first season at USF. That was great, but none of the seven wins in 2023 were against teams that finished with a winning record.
The 2024 Bulls also went 7-6, and none of the six regular season wins came against a team that finished with a winning record. There was a loss to an awful Rice squad, and the Hawaii Bowl win came in a thriller over an okay San Jose State squad.
Last year’s team opened up with wins over Boise State and Florida - a Gator team that ended up 4-8 - and there was a fantastic victory over North Texas, but in the two games USF needed to have against Memphis and Navy, it came up short.
That’s a long way to say that while Golesh should bring some life, fire, and fun into the Auburn program, it’s not like he actually won anything yet as a head coach.
CFN Prediction: 7-5
The Tigers will go to a bowl game.
They’ll get by Baylor, Southern Miss, and Samford, and in SEC play, they should take down Arkansas and Vanderbilt in Jordan-Hare.
But there’s nothing easy about the rest of the slate, including a home date against Florida and a road game at Mississippi State.
It’ll be a weekly fight for everyone in the SEC, and Auburn will be on the right side of at least one game it shouldn’t win, and on the wrong side of at least one game it shouldn’t lose.
And with this offense, and the firepower that’s coming in, it’s going to be a blast.
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Auburn Jumps in Race for 2029 Prospect
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Daily
Last weekend, Alex Golesh and the Auburn Tigers seemed to be focusing on the far-off future of the program, as the Tigers have offered several top recruits from the class of 2029. One such recruit, Ashton Amos, received his offer from the Tigers on Thursday.
Amos is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound safety prospect who plays at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Md. Like many young recruits in the class of 2029, Amos does not have a star classification, but that will change as the 2029 class becomes more in focus.
After Amos received his offer from the Tigers, Auburn Tigers on SI caught up with the young safety to talk all things Auburn.
“What stands out to me is the new era they are ushering in,” he said, “with Head Coach [Alex Golesh] and also DC (DJ) Durkin really making that defense ferocious even for SEC standards! Definitely planning to get up there and see what Auburn is about as soon as I can.”
https://twitter.com/ashton_amos1/status/2050021949007352075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2050021949007352075%7Ctwgr%5E3e66273f0eb91d501e929475ac008a656700c84e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fcollege%2Fauburn%2Frecruiting%2Fauburn-jumps-in-race-for-2029-prospect-01krf41x9hx3
Since Amos is quite young in his recruitment, he likely has not received a tenth of the offers he will receive throughout high school, at least at the pace he is on. However, Auburn jumping into the race this early could make a difference in his eventual decision.
“I would say they are definitely up there,” he said. “I would love to get down there and get a feel of the place.”
If you keep up with Auburn recruiting, you have almost certainly heard of St. Francis, as the Tigers have aggressively recruited the Baltimore high school throughout this offseason. The significance of this is not lost on Amos.
“Honestly, the first thing that comes to my mind [when I think of Auburn] is the pipeline that is being created at St. Frances, and also the dominance that Auburn has had in the SEC,” he said. “I am in a great place at St. Frances to really develop my tools and God-given abilities.”
Amos also has had the chance to chat with a few of Auburn’s coaches, including the man who has led Auburn’s defense to consistently be one of the top units in the country: Durkin.
“I noticed that he is a coach who knows a lot about the game,” Amos said. “[Durkin] loves to pour into his players and lead them to success.”
Though Amos will be just a rising sophomore in this upcoming season, he already has an idea of what his ideal program looks like, as well as what he has to offer top programs around the country.
“[I’m looking for] somewhere that is going to utilize me as a playmaker in the defensive back field and give me the ability to be a ball hawk at free safety,” he said. “Even with the offers that I have received, nothing is going to change, I am still gonna be hungry and keep stacking days.”
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New York Giants on Auburn prospect: ‘We want to be thick in the middle’
By Mark Inabinett
al.com
Despite the presence of three-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, the New York Giants gave up more rushing yards than any defense in the NFC last season.
The Giants yielded a league-worst 5.3 yards per rushing attempt and gave up the third-most rushing touchdowns in the NFL in 2025 – the fifth season in a row that New York has had one of the worst eight rushing defenses among the 32 teams.
The Giants traded Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals after a contract standoff in April and have remade their up-the-middle defense under new coach John Harbaugh. Also gone are Lawrence backup/rotation pieces DJ Davidson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches, a former Central-Phenix City standout.
Leading tackler Bobby Okereke also is gone, with Tremaine Edmunds signed from the Chicago Bears in free agency to play inside linebacker. First-round draft pick Arvell Reese also could see some time inside.
At nose tackle, the Giants signed 330-pound D.J. Reader to take Lawrence’s place and brought in Leki Fotu from the Houston Texans and Sam Roberts from the Atlanta Falcons for depth, then used a sixth-round draft pick on Auburn’s 328-pound Bobby Jamison-Travis.
“I’m very happy about it,” Harbaugh said about the overhaul on Saturday. “I felt like it was part of our process. It’s not that we wouldn’t have drafted a defensive tackle or signed one sooner if they had become available or kept Dexter if that was something we could do. Those were all things that were on the table. But as it went, I thought we did a good job of kind of responding to the situation as it unfolded, and now we feel really good about our group in there. It looks good to me. I’m excited about it. I think we have the guys we need.”
Jamison-Travis knows why the Giants picked him.
“Two-on-one, somebody’s free, and that’s always my mindset,” Jamison-Travis said. “I get double-teamed in the trenches, I know a linebacker’s going to come in and fill, so I’m doing everything that’s possible to stop the run, really, because I consider myself as a run-stopper.”
Projections had Jamison-Travis with a marginal chance to be drafted before New York used the 186th selection on the Auburn defensive lineman on April 25.
“Was just sitting down, really just being patient and waiting my turn,” Jamison-Travis said. “And then I seen N.Y. Giants. It popped up. I’m like, ‘Oh, snap.’ I’m like, ‘I’m going to answer that.’ Then I got that call. I was very excited. …
“Me and the Giants, like, we locked in, for sure. Like, I had a great time in my 30 visit there. Like, I connected with everybody in the room -- in every room, actually -- with all the meetings we had, so I had a great connection with them and it’s really just a blessing for them to draft me.”
Jamison-Travis got his first work with New York over the weekend at rookie minicamp.
“With Bobby, one, he’s a guy that has gone the long way,” said Brandon Brown, the Giants’ assistant general manager on Saturday. “When I say really long, he’s gone from junior college. He had his time at Auburn, and he’s a guy that came on the scene a little bit later even though he’s an older prospect.
“You have to understand him as a person. I say more than anything, Bobby is a great father, and that lends to who he is. He’s a young man with three kids under the age of 5 and a loving wife. That’s what he performs for. That’s what drives him. That’s his fuel. Knowing that he comes from a large family in Minneapolis, he’s overcome adversity.
“But what you have seen in his game is strength in knock-back. In the trenches, his hands don’t always work in unison, but that’s coaching. When you look at BJ watching his tape, when you look at our area scouts, whether it’s (college area scout) Scott Hamel, (national scout) Marcus Cooper, going down and saying, ‘Hey, this guy is a little bit off the radar, but he has power in his hands, and he can eat double-teams. He doesn’t get moved by side anchor, and he can create knock-back in a way that when we get into our meetings with Harbs and (general manager) Joe (Schoen).’
“Hey, we want to be thick in the middle. We want to be able to re-establish the line of scrimmage. Create knockback at the nose. He’s not a pass rusher, but what he can do is eat two blocks and he can be firm.
“You saw the flashes. He goes to the Hula Bowl, and he does it a little bit more consistently. Then we bring him on a 30 visit and have another touch point with him and you understand the person and what drives him and motivates him. And can we keep untapping and sharpening his tools in terms of making him a consistent player before we took him? Really getting to understand him is to understand that, yes, he’s a guy that we drafted later, but we’re just as excited about him as guys that went higher in the draft.
“We just knew the opportunity for us was later on because of maybe some of the perceived warts, but for us we’re excited Bobby is here and excited to keep grooming him.”
Three Reasons Auburn Could Exceed Expectations in 2026:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/three-reasons-auburn-exceed-expectations-2026-01krecx3yh2s
2027 four-star offensive lineman includes Auburn in top six teams:
https://auburnwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/auburn/football/2026/05/12/auburn-football-recruiting-jj-brown-top-six/90039542007/
ESPN views 3 former Auburn stars as late-round NFL Draft gems:
https://flywareagle.com/espn-views-3-former-auburn-stars-as-late-round-nfl-draft-gems-01kreg1z6d80
Kick time set for Auburn vs. Baylor in Aflac Kickoff Game:
https://auburntigers.com/news/2026/05/12/kick-time-set-for-auburn-vs-baylor-in-aflac-kickoff-game
Kickoff time, TV channel announced for Auburn’s 2026 season opener:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/05/kickoff-time-tv-channel-announced-for-auburns-2026-season-opener.html
Kickoff time, TV set for Auburn's season opener vs. Baylor:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/auburn-football-schedule-baylor-game-tigers-time-2026-285080953/
Time, Network Revealed for Auburn Football’s Opening Matchup Against Baylor:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/time-network-revealed-auburn-football-opening-matchup-against-baylor-01krf765x13h
The 3 most important Auburn assistant coaches for 2026:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/05/the-3-most-important-auburn-assistant-coaches-for-2026.html
What a Successful Auburn Season Looks Like Under Alex Golesh:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/what-successful-auburn-season-under-alex-golesh
Auburn Tigers College Football Preview 2026:
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/auburn-tigers-college-football-preview-214456759.html
Auburn Jumps in Race for 2029 Prospect:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/recruiting/auburn-jumps-in-race-for-2029-prospect-01krf41x9hx3
New York Giants on Auburn prospect: ‘We want to be thick in the middle’:
https://www.al.com/sports/2026/05/new-york-giants-on-auburn-prospect-we-want-to-be-thick-in-the-middle.html
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By Brooks Crew
Auburn Daily
The Auburn Tigers have been in a historic rut since they fired Gus Malzahn, who has found two other jobs and retired in the time since the Tigers last had a winning season in 2020. Projections for this year’s team, now under Alex Golesh, have been all over the place, though most predictions have settled around a five-to-seven-win range.
That being said, it is safe to assume that the Tigers are not looking to be simply on par for this upcoming season, and for good reason. Auburn Tigers on SI takes a look at three major reasons why the Tigers can surpass expectations.
This year, Golesh has built a backfield that has already made history, even before two of the three expected major contributors have recorded a stat in an Auburn uniform. For the first time in Auburn history, the Tigers have three rushers entering the season with 1,000+ career rushing yards, a testament to Golesh’s recruiting abilities.
Between Auburn returner Jeremiah Cobb, Baylor transfer Bryson Washington and USF transfer quarterback Byrum Brown, the Tigers’ backfield is set to be one of the best in recent memory. Golesh has been clear that the Tigers will lean heavily on the rush this year, and he has certainly put the pieces in place to terrorize the SEC.
It is no secret to just about anyone in the SEC that DJ Durkin can put together a scary defense. After all, two of his edge rushers were taken in the NFL Draft just weeks ago, while his linebacker room, which earned award after award throughout last season, returns in nearly full form headed into 2026.
Couple that linebacker dominance with new top-tier transfers like Da’Shawn Womack, an edge rushing transfer from Ole Miss, and the Tigers seem poised for yet another dominant season on defense. Admittedly, Auburn’s secondary had its weak moments last year, but Durkin has already begun to work with top transfers like Scrap Richardson, who could prove to be the downfield difference in 2026.
Auburn’s offense never really found its stride last year; the Tigers’ quarterbacks struggled, the rushing attack was weak at best and despite top-level receiving talent, the Tigers struggled to put points on the board. Though Golesh has yet to coach a game for Auburn, his previous offensive credentials certainly bode well for the Tigers’ offensive future.
In Golesh’s first season as the offensive coordinator at Tennessee, back in 2021, the Vols’ offense shattered eight different production records, including rushing first downs, touchdowns, points scored and total first downs. If he, along with his offensive coordinator Joel Gordon, can bring some of that high-flying offense to the Plains, the Tigers will be set up well for a strong season.
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2027 four-star offensive lineman includes Auburn in top six teams
By Phillip Jordan
Auburn Wire
On Monday, 2027 four-star offensive lineman JJ Brown narrowed his list of teams down to six. Auburn, along with Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, and Kentucky, made the list according to Benjamin Wolk of 247Sports.
Brown has also announced that he will make official visits to four of the schools, according to 247Sports. He will make an official visit to Auburn on June 12th. He has visits set for Clemson on May 29, Georgia on June 5, and Kentucky on June 19th. He has not announced when he will make an official visit for the Gators and Seminoles.
Currently, the 2027 recruiting class for Auburn is ranked No. 39 with six commits. The class received a big boost on Saturday with quarterback Gary Chatman Jr. announcing his pledge to the Tigers. They currently have only one offensive line commitment, three-star Jaylon Moore. So, landing Brown will be a big momentum boost for Auburn recruiting.
Brown is a four-star prospect out of Parkview High School in Georgia, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. He is currently rated as the No. 32 offensive tackle in the 2027 recruiting class and the No. 35 player in Georgia.
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ESPN views 3 former Auburn stars as late-round NFL Draft gems
By Brian Stultz
Fly War Eagle
The prospects picked in the first round of the NFL draft are usually expected to make an immediate contribution for their team as a rookie. It’s why, out of all the players who enter the draft, they are the ones who hear their names called on the first night and are paid more money than everyone else.
But as we have seen in the past, sometimes it is those who go in the later rounds who make even more of a difference. Those hidden gems emerge from every draft, and whether it's Tom Brady, Brock Purdy or Puka Nacua, they earn their way into the starting lineup by showing what they are capable of during offseason workouts and fall camp.
ESPN’s Field Yates recently published his picks for the guys who were second or third-day picks who could see playing time early and often for their new team, and three of them are former Auburn players.
Jeremiah Wright, Keionte Scott and Bobby Jamison-Travis looked at as late gems
He starts with Jeremiah Wright, the longtime starter on the Tigers’ offensive line, who was selected by the New Orleans Saints with the 132nd overall pick in the fourth round. Yates points out Wright’s physicality with his 6-foot-5, 331-pound frame, and he is especially effective in the running game.
Keionte Scott, who found new life with the Miami Hurricanes this past season and helped lead them to the national championship game, went in the fourth round with the 116th pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While Yates and many thought Scott would go earlier, the former Auburn nickleback has proven how explosive he can be, picking off Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and returning it for a touchdown in the Hurricanes’ upset victory over the Buckeyes in the playoffs. Yates expects Scott to see immediate playing time.
The last is Bobby Jamison-Travis, who didn’t put up major numbers in his senior season on the Plains (36 tackles, two tackles for a loss, two passes broken up and one quarterback hurry), but Yates loves his length and size at 6-foot-4, 322 pounds, and his ability to stop the run to earn him playing time on early downs for the New York Giants.
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Kick time set for Auburn vs. Baylor in Aflac Kickoff Game
By Wade Rackley
The 2026 Aflac Kickoff Game featuring Auburn and Baylor at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta will begin at 2:30 p.m. CT on ABC, the network announced Tuesday.
The Tigers are playing in Atlanta for the first time since 2018 and making their fourth appearance in the Aflac Kickoff Game (2012, 2015 and 2018).
The contest will mark the sixth all-time meeting between Auburn and Baylor following the Tigers’ 38–24 victory in Waco on August 31, 2025.
Additional kick times and television window designations for the 2026 season will be announced in the coming weeks.
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Kickoff time, TV channel announced for Auburn’s 2026 season opener
By Peter Rauterkus
al.com
As the 2026 Auburn football season inches closer, ESPN revealed game times and channel information for all of its games in Week 0 and Week 1 on Tuesday.
The Tigers will begin the season against Baylor, as the first game the Alex Golesh era is officially scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CT on Sept. 5 and will be televised on ABC.
The game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, after Auburn opted to have the game moved from Jordan-Hare Stadium to be part of the Aflac Kickoff Game.
Being part of the Aflac Kickoff Game will provide Auburn with extra third-party NIL opportunities. In an interview with AL.com, Auburn athletic director John Cohen said it would have been “irresponsible” not to make the move.
Auburn and Baylor’s 2026 matchup is a rematch of last season’s season opener in Waco. The Tigers won that game 38-24. This year will be Auburn’s fourth appearance in the Aflac Kickoff Game, with the Tigers holding a record of 2-1 in the game.
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Kickoff time, TV set for Auburn's season opener vs. Baylor
By Nathan King
It won't be in Jordan-Hare Stadium, but Auburn still figures to have a big home-crowd advantage in the first game of the Alex Golesh era.
The Tigers will kick off against Baylor at 2:30 p.m. CST on ABC, as announced Tuesday as part of a slate of Week 0 and Week 1 games by ESPN.
The season opener was originally set to be the return game of a home-and-home with Baylor, started last season with a 38-24 win in Waco, before Auburn opted to move the game to Atlanta for the Aflac Kickoff Game. Auburn expects to garner approximately $8 million for its NIL funds — $4 million from Aflac, and another $4 million if the Tigers sell out their ticket allotment.
Auburn will play three Power Four opponents in the first four weeks of the season, facing Southern Miss at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Week 2 before back-to-back SEC home games against Florida and Vanderbilt.
With Golesh replacing Hugh Freeze, Auburn overhauled a large portion of the roster that won last year's season opener in Waco. Baylor went on to finish 5-7, putting head coach Dave Aranda back on the hot seat. The Bears lost several offensive contributors — including running back Bryson Washington, who transferred to Auburn — and will need to fix a defense that was No. 122 nationally in scoring.
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Time, Network Revealed for Auburn Football’s Opening Matchup Against Baylor
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Daily
The Auburn Tigers officially have a time and date for their opening day matchup in 2026, as they will take on the Baylor Bears in the Aflac Kickoff Game on Sept. 5. On Tuesday, the university announced an official kick time at 2:30 p.m. CT and that the game will be broadcast on ABC.
https://twitter.com/AuburnFootball/status/2054314039921021258?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2054314039921021258%7Ctwgr%5E324b94ab1f65a43d346e27f9c6506d333bf5589e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fcollege%2Fauburn%2Ffootball%2Ftime-network-revealed-auburn-football-opening-matchup-against-baylor-01krf765x13h
The game, which will be held in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, will mark the sixth meeting of the two programs, a series in which Auburn holds a 2-2-1 record. The most recent matchup between these two teams was just last year, in which the Tigers traveled to Waco and took down the Bears, 38-24, to start the 2025 season.
In that matchup, Jackson Arnold dazzled with his legs, rushing for 137 yards and two touchdowns in what ultimately became one of the Tigers’ only wins on the season. This year, another rushing quarterback is expected to take the forefront, as USF transfer Byrum Brown will make his Auburn debut against the Bears.
Another top-level rusher is expected to make waves in this matchup, as Bryson Washington, who was a part of the Baylor squad the Tigers took down last year, transferred to Auburn this past offseason and will make his Auburn debut against his former program.
With the Bears, Washington rushed for 1,861 yards over three years and even led the Bears in rushing in their matchup last year with Hugh Freeze’s Tigers. He will look to continue the trend of lead rushing in season openers, though he will have to impress over Jeremiah Cobb, a senior Auburn returner who is expected to be the Tigers’ starter this year.
This matchup will be a great first look at what Alex Golesh has been working on over the past few months, as the new Tigers head coach has had to completely revamp his offense from the ground up. The Tigers’ offense returned just one starter, the aforementioned Cobb, and as a result, all ten other offensive starting positions will be populated by new Tigers.
There have been many questions about how Auburn will perform during the season, particularly after a lackluster spring game performance from Brown, so this game will be an opportunity for the Tigers to prove their doubters wrong and start their season on a high note.
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The 3 most important Auburn assistant coaches for 2026
By Jerry Humphrey III
al.com
Auburn football coach Alex Golesh described his staff as elite when putting it together ahead of his first season at the helm of the program.
On both sides of the ball, Auburn has assistants that come in with tons of coaching experience across the collegiate and professional ranks.
Here are three of the most important assistants on Golesh’s first coaching staff at Auburn:
Kodi Burns, associate head coach/receivers coach
Kodi Burns will have a huge hand in Auburn’s new-look offense this year after coaching alongside Golesh at Tennessee and South Florida.
In Burns’ first season as Tennessee’sreceiverss coach in 2022, the Volunteers produced their first 1,000-yard receiver since 2012 in Cedric Tillman. Burns also coached future NFL draft picks Jalin Hyatt and Velus Jones Jr. while at Tennessee.
Burns is back coaching at his alma mater, and five of his USF wide receivers came with him and Golesh to Auburn. The Tigers have not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Ronney Daniels in 1999 and have only seen two players surpass that mark in school history (Terry Beasley in 1970 being the other).
“As a wide receiver that’s when you want to go eat. Our offense is wide open. We’re going to take what the defense gives us,” Burns said. “We’re going to have a lot of opportunities for receivers to go one-on-one and be out in space. That’s when we operate at a high clip and why there has been success dating back to us at Tennessee and coach Golesh at UCF and also USF.”
Tim Banks, safeties coach
Auburn’s secondary unit gave up more than 2,600 total yards, 1,300 yards after the catch and 15 total touchdowns in 2025.
A big part of that came from a drop-off in safety play, which prompted Auburn to bring in former Tennessee defensive coordinator Tim Banks.
Banks and Golesh worked together at Tennessee in 2021 and 2022, when Golesh was the Vols’ offensive coordinator. They were also on the same staff at Illinois from 2012-2015, where Golesh coached tight ends and Banks was the defensive coordinator.
“He’s helping us better things we messed up on last year,” safety Kaleb Harris said of Banks during the spring. “He’s building our confidence back up and get us back to the level we can play at.”
Harris, Sylvester Smith, AnQuon Fegans and Eric Winters all played significant snaps last season and each of them are returning in 2026.
Vontrell King-Williams, defensive line coach
One of two coaches to remain on Auburn’s staff from the Hugh Freeze era, Vontrell King-Williams saw three of his former players (Keldric Faulk, Keyron Crawford and Bobby Jamison-Travis) selected in the NFL Draft last month.
In 2025, the Tigers finished the season ranked 12th nationally in rushing yards allowed per game. King-Williams also has been a key figure on the recruiting front, helping secure major additions from the transfer portal and high school ranks.
Auburn’s defense as a whole is expected to excel under the tutelage of defensive coordinator DJ Durkin. However, King-Williams’ impact on the defensive line will be vital to the Tigers’ continued success upfront.
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What a Successful Auburn Season Looks Like Under Alex Golesh
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Daily
As Alex Golesh begins his tenure as the new head coach of the Auburn Tigers, no one seems to be sure what exactly to expect from this season. After all, Auburn fans are quite used to getting their hopes up, just to be disappointed down the road.
So, what does a successful season in Golesh’s first year look like? There are plenty of ideas and suggestions, but in my eyes, there are three key factors that build a ‘successful’ season under Golesh.
Win Total
The Tigers still have not had a winning season since Gus Malzahn was fired in 2020, despite working through two other coaches in Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze. For Golesh to consider this season a success, the Tigers obviously need to have a winning season, though a barely bowl-eligible season (6-6) with a bowl win would suffice if it really came down to it.
The problem with settling for a 6-6 regular season record, though, is that it would only be deemed ‘successful’ because the Tigers of late have just been that bad. Though many would view a bowl game as a big step up for the Tigers, I think Auburn needs to have a true winning season, with seven to eight wins, before a bowl game, at a minimum, to consider the first season under Golesh a success.
Competitiveness in Big Games
Just about every Auburn fan has two games circled on the calendar every year, regardless of how good the Tigers are: Georgia and Alabama. These two rivalry matchups are among the most famous in the south, and the Tigers have struggled to find their footing in these games across recent years.
Though it is definitely a reach, at this point in the season, to say that Golesh needs to win one of these high-ticket matchups for the season to be considered a success, a win against Alabama and/or Georgia would certainly put the Auburn faithful’s minds on the fast track to considering Golesh as a long-term option.
However, for this season to be deemed merely a success, I believe the Tigers simply need to be competitive in these games. After all, Georgia and Alabama, as usual, are projected to be two of the best teams in football next year, and the Tigers are working with an almost entirely unique offense, so keeping those games within a score would be a great look for the future of this Auburn team under Golesh.
Get blown out in one or both, though, and regardless of the rest of the season production, there will be quite a few eyebrows raised towards Golesh.
Offensive Identity
Golesh has put himself in an interesting position by bringing in Byrum Brown, who is the most highly anticipated quarterback the Tigers have had in some time. Of course, Brown could be one of the best quarterbacks in football this season, especially now that he is a part of an SEC program, but if he struggles, there will be many questions raised, even if the Tigers are still able to put together a decent win total.
Additionally, Golesh has been quite emphatic that he is going to emphasize the run in his offense, and he has built a backfield to match. Like Brown, then, expectations are high for Auburn’s rushing attack, which has been quite dormant over recent years.
I say all of this to say: Golesh will not be able to rely on DJ Durkin’s defense, which will likely once again end up as one of the best units in the SEC, to carry his offense through games if he wants his season to be deemed a success. Particularly in early-season matchups against teams like Baylor, Florida and Vanderbilt, the Tigers will need to put up some big offensive numbers if Golesh’s new offense is to be trusted.
Of course, any improvement over these points is obviously still a win, and these are simply the items I believe Golesh needs to achieve at a bare minimum for Auburn fans to consider his first year at Auburn a success.
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Auburn Tigers College Football Preview 2026
By Pete Fiutak
College Football News
There was once a time when Auburn football just meant more.
It won the 2010 national championship, played in the final BCS Championship after one of the most thrilling seasons ever, and it had a few nice seasons in 2017 and 2019.
And then the program lost its mojo.
The Tigers went 33-40 over the last six seasons, and they’re currently on a funky streak of five straight seven-loss campaigns. Only a horrendous 9-35 run from 1946 to 1950 was worse, but those teams get a post-world-war break.
But after a fat run of blah in the College Football Playoff era so far, going 83-69, now it’s time to have some fun.
The hiring of former USF head coach Alex Golesh may or may not work, but no matter what, this certainly won’t be boring.
Auburn matters again because, if nothing else, it’s going to have the offense that no one wants to deal with.
Auburn Quick Hits
Head Coach: Alex Golesh (4th year overall, 23-15; 1st season at Auburn)
Best Case / Worst Case: Auburn stays in the hunt for the CFP all season long/A sixth-straight seven-loss season
Key Player: Byrum Brown, QB Sr.
2025 Record: 5-7
Biggest Question: Can Golesh start winning the big games he didn’t win at USF?
Auburn Key 2025 Stats
Penalties: Auburn 93 for 764 yards, Opponents 69 for 630 yards
Sacks: Opponents 42 for 257 yards, Auburn 30 for 188 yards
1st Quarter Scoring: Auburn 73, Opponents 43
Offense
If you enjoyed the Auburn offense that struggled to push the passing game down the field, couldn’t move the chains, and seemed a bit sluggish, then you’re not going to like what’s coming.
Last year’s Tiger attack finished 79th in the nation in total offense. Last year’s South Florida offense under Golesh was No. 3 in total yards, averaging 489 per game, and No. 5 in scoring, averaging 40.5 points per game.
And if you’re one of those types who enjoys a pounding, time-of-possession owning attack, kindly look elsewhere, because …
What’s Working
This thing goes at warp speed. Auburn might finish dead last in the nation in time of possession - that’s just the way this offense works. Golesh’s teams go fast, fast, FAST, with a rhythm that needs players who know how to handle the timing.
Golesh brought over 11 players from last year’s Bulls’ offense, including most of the stars.
Byrum Brown knows how to handle the new Auburn attack. A four-year veteran at USF, he missed time hurt over the span, but he was in total command last season with 28 touchdown passes and over 1,000 rushing yards with 14 scores.
And finally, the Tigers will have a downfield passing game again.
The Auburn wide receiving corps is loaded. Keshaun Singleton, Jeremiah Koger, Chas Nimrod, and Christian Neptune all made the move up from Tampa - they were four of last year’s top five receivers with the Bulls.
Singleton is the star of the show, but this is a deep group with plenty of talented young players to go along with the veterans.
What Needs Work
The offensive line has to prove it can get the job done. Last year’s Tiger line was awful in pass protection and couldn’t do much of anything for the ground game. There’s an overhaul happening now, but it might take all of fall camp to put the puzzle together.
Former USF center Cole Best is a sure thing at center, James Madison transfer Jo Simmons will take over one of the tackle spots, and former Oregon State tackle Jacob Strand will be a good swing tackle until Michigan State’s Stanton Ramil is back from an offseason injury.
Yeah, the new staff brought in a ton of good talent, but Auburn lost a whole slew of more talented guys.
Quarterback Deuce Knight would’ve been perfect for the attack, but he’s at Ole Miss. Cam Coleman is a far better NFL prospect than any receiver coming in, and now he’s at Texas, and leading receiver Eric Singleton is at Florida. Xavier Chaplin would’ve been the team’s best tackle, but he took off for Florida State.
Here’s the problem. Yes, the offense will explode and put up big numbers. However, when it bogs down, and the chains aren’t moving - like in last year’s USF blowout loss to Miami, and in the tough 18-16 comeback shocker over Florida - the defensive side gets taxed hard.
USF only had the ball for 24 minutes against the Hurricanes and for just over 25 minutes against the Gators.
Player to Watch
Byrum Brown, QB Sr.
The staff brought in Tristan Ti’a from Oregon State if something happens to the main man, but Brown has been banged up a bunch over his career. When he’s right, though, he can be among the best all-around quarterbacks in college football.
Defense
There’s an extremely smart mix of things happening on the defensive side of the ball.
Auburn might not have done much offensively last year, but the defense fought the good fight under coordinator DJ Durkin. The stats don’t do the Tigers justice, finishing 29th in the nation in total defense - they were more effective than that.
They had a good pass rush, kept plenty of games close, and only the 45-38 loss to Vanderbilt got out of hand. Durkin is back, along with a slew of decent parts from last year’s bunch. The transfer portal is a huge help here.
What’s Working
The linebackers are fantastic. It’s a deep and loaded group starting with veteran Xavier Atkins, who was among the best in the nation last year with 17 tackles for loss, nine sacks, and a team-high 84 stops.
Da’Shawn Womack was a tremendous hybrid pass-rushing prospect signing from Ole Miss, and there are more than enough options to work into a rotation.
Auburn might be even better at safety. Kaleb Harris was a baller at one spot - making 50 tackles last year - and AnQuon Fegans and Sylvester Smith are back after working their way into the rotation. There are more than enough options to keep trying out.
The run defense was a rock. Alabama, Texas A&M, and Vanderbilt were the only three teams that averaged more than 3.3 yards per carry. The back seven/eight has enough returning to keep the production going.
What Needs Work
There aren’t any real issues with the line. It’ll be fine, and there’s depth, but there isn’t a sure-thing star, especially on the inside. The pass rush will take care of itself from all of the other parts, but on the inside, this should be more of a strength-in-numbers thing against the run.
Safety is a huge strength for the secondary, but the corner situation needs some tweaking. Rayshawn Pleasant had a few nice moments last season, and there’s upside with some of the new guys - particularly UCLA’s Andre Jordan - but overall, the position got hammered hard by the portal.
Again, and this can’t be stressed enough, the style of offense will be a burden at times. When Auburn goes three-and-out in 14 seconds, there won’t be a lot of long breaks.
Auburn wasn’t great at the time of possession battle last season, and the defense held up. The depth will be taxed right away.
Player to Watch
Xavier Atkins, LB Jr.
A smallish, tweener safety/linebacker who was once a great recruit for LSU, Atkins was a monster, earning First Team All-SEC honors. He doesn’t have to do it all alone, but he’s the game-wrecker everything will work around.
Keys to the Season
Make it all blend together.
Take the USF offense of last year, mix it with the 2025 Auburn defense, and somehow make it all work just fine.
All of the new parts should fix most of the problems on the offensive side, and now it’s up to the defense to keep the team in games like it did last year.
Player Who Needs To Shine
Alex McPherson, PK Sr.
Can he be ultra-reliable again? He had one off day last season - going 1-for-4 against Missouri, but it was in a 23-17 home loss. Those were his only three missed field goals of the season.
Auburn might be vastly improved, but it’s going to be in a bunch of nailbiters again, which is why …
Biggest Concern
Win the tight games.
The program is 1-13 in its last 14 one-score games.
There were plenty of chances to win games, but the team couldn’t figure out how to do it. Auburn outscored teams 83-56 in the fourth, but was outscored 13-0 in the two overtime games.
Out of the seven losses, six were by seven points or fewer, and the 20-10 loss to Georgia was tight throughout.
Biggest Game
at Tennessee, October 3
It’s one of those hidden SEC things that gets a little bit lost on a national scale. This is a long-time rivalry game going back to 1929. However, it’s been all Auburn lately.
The two schools haven’t played since 2020 - a 30-17 Tiger win. The Vols won in 2018, but AU won the previous six dates going back to 1999.
This year, it’s Auburn’s first SEC road game. With at Georgia, LSU, and at Ole Miss next, the winning trend can’t stop.
Transfer Portal
If you noticed a whole lot of USF references through this, there’s a reason. At the moment, 13 former Bulls are coming over with Golesh to fill in the gaps right away.
There’s an even bigger haul of new talent than that, though, and it was needed because of the bulk loss of players to other schools.
Close to 30 players left the program with the coaching change, but going by sheer bulk, the transfer portal was a net positive for the Tigers.
Best Signing
Byrum Brown, QB (USF)
Auburn lost far more elite transfer prospects than it brought in, but Brown is the one who matters the most. If he can make the Tiger attack move like the USF offense of last year … kaboom.
Biggest Loss
Cam Coleman, WR (Texas)
If he’s not No. 2 behind Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith on every list of top wide receiver prospects for the 2027 NFL Draft, he’s close. He’s a big playmaker with speed, and now he gets Arch Manning throwing to him.
Other Names to Know
Jeremiah Koger, WR (USF)
Da’Shawn Womack, EDGE (Ole Miss)
Bryson Washington, RB (Baylor)
CFN Season Prediction
So, yeah, Golesh took over a 1-11 program and won seven games in his first season at USF. That was great, but none of the seven wins in 2023 were against teams that finished with a winning record.
The 2024 Bulls also went 7-6, and none of the six regular season wins came against a team that finished with a winning record. There was a loss to an awful Rice squad, and the Hawaii Bowl win came in a thriller over an okay San Jose State squad.
Last year’s team opened up with wins over Boise State and Florida - a Gator team that ended up 4-8 - and there was a fantastic victory over North Texas, but in the two games USF needed to have against Memphis and Navy, it came up short.
That’s a long way to say that while Golesh should bring some life, fire, and fun into the Auburn program, it’s not like he actually won anything yet as a head coach.
CFN Prediction: 7-5
The Tigers will go to a bowl game.
They’ll get by Baylor, Southern Miss, and Samford, and in SEC play, they should take down Arkansas and Vanderbilt in Jordan-Hare.
But there’s nothing easy about the rest of the slate, including a home date against Florida and a road game at Mississippi State.
It’ll be a weekly fight for everyone in the SEC, and Auburn will be on the right side of at least one game it shouldn’t win, and on the wrong side of at least one game it shouldn’t lose.
And with this offense, and the firepower that’s coming in, it’s going to be a blast.
*************************
Auburn Jumps in Race for 2029 Prospect
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Daily
Last weekend, Alex Golesh and the Auburn Tigers seemed to be focusing on the far-off future of the program, as the Tigers have offered several top recruits from the class of 2029. One such recruit, Ashton Amos, received his offer from the Tigers on Thursday.
Amos is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound safety prospect who plays at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Md. Like many young recruits in the class of 2029, Amos does not have a star classification, but that will change as the 2029 class becomes more in focus.
After Amos received his offer from the Tigers, Auburn Tigers on SI caught up with the young safety to talk all things Auburn.
“What stands out to me is the new era they are ushering in,” he said, “with Head Coach [Alex Golesh] and also DC (DJ) Durkin really making that defense ferocious even for SEC standards! Definitely planning to get up there and see what Auburn is about as soon as I can.”
https://twitter.com/ashton_amos1/status/2050021949007352075?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2050021949007352075%7Ctwgr%5E3e66273f0eb91d501e929475ac008a656700c84e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fcollege%2Fauburn%2Frecruiting%2Fauburn-jumps-in-race-for-2029-prospect-01krf41x9hx3
Since Amos is quite young in his recruitment, he likely has not received a tenth of the offers he will receive throughout high school, at least at the pace he is on. However, Auburn jumping into the race this early could make a difference in his eventual decision.
“I would say they are definitely up there,” he said. “I would love to get down there and get a feel of the place.”
If you keep up with Auburn recruiting, you have almost certainly heard of St. Francis, as the Tigers have aggressively recruited the Baltimore high school throughout this offseason. The significance of this is not lost on Amos.
“Honestly, the first thing that comes to my mind [when I think of Auburn] is the pipeline that is being created at St. Frances, and also the dominance that Auburn has had in the SEC,” he said. “I am in a great place at St. Frances to really develop my tools and God-given abilities.”
Amos also has had the chance to chat with a few of Auburn’s coaches, including the man who has led Auburn’s defense to consistently be one of the top units in the country: Durkin.
“I noticed that he is a coach who knows a lot about the game,” Amos said. “[Durkin] loves to pour into his players and lead them to success.”
Though Amos will be just a rising sophomore in this upcoming season, he already has an idea of what his ideal program looks like, as well as what he has to offer top programs around the country.
“[I’m looking for] somewhere that is going to utilize me as a playmaker in the defensive back field and give me the ability to be a ball hawk at free safety,” he said. “Even with the offers that I have received, nothing is going to change, I am still gonna be hungry and keep stacking days.”
**********************
New York Giants on Auburn prospect: ‘We want to be thick in the middle’
By Mark Inabinett
al.com
Despite the presence of three-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Dexter Lawrence, the New York Giants gave up more rushing yards than any defense in the NFC last season.
The Giants yielded a league-worst 5.3 yards per rushing attempt and gave up the third-most rushing touchdowns in the NFL in 2025 – the fifth season in a row that New York has had one of the worst eight rushing defenses among the 32 teams.
The Giants traded Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals after a contract standoff in April and have remade their up-the-middle defense under new coach John Harbaugh. Also gone are Lawrence backup/rotation pieces DJ Davidson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches, a former Central-Phenix City standout.
Leading tackler Bobby Okereke also is gone, with Tremaine Edmunds signed from the Chicago Bears in free agency to play inside linebacker. First-round draft pick Arvell Reese also could see some time inside.
At nose tackle, the Giants signed 330-pound D.J. Reader to take Lawrence’s place and brought in Leki Fotu from the Houston Texans and Sam Roberts from the Atlanta Falcons for depth, then used a sixth-round draft pick on Auburn’s 328-pound Bobby Jamison-Travis.
“I’m very happy about it,” Harbaugh said about the overhaul on Saturday. “I felt like it was part of our process. It’s not that we wouldn’t have drafted a defensive tackle or signed one sooner if they had become available or kept Dexter if that was something we could do. Those were all things that were on the table. But as it went, I thought we did a good job of kind of responding to the situation as it unfolded, and now we feel really good about our group in there. It looks good to me. I’m excited about it. I think we have the guys we need.”
Jamison-Travis knows why the Giants picked him.
“Two-on-one, somebody’s free, and that’s always my mindset,” Jamison-Travis said. “I get double-teamed in the trenches, I know a linebacker’s going to come in and fill, so I’m doing everything that’s possible to stop the run, really, because I consider myself as a run-stopper.”
Projections had Jamison-Travis with a marginal chance to be drafted before New York used the 186th selection on the Auburn defensive lineman on April 25.
“Was just sitting down, really just being patient and waiting my turn,” Jamison-Travis said. “And then I seen N.Y. Giants. It popped up. I’m like, ‘Oh, snap.’ I’m like, ‘I’m going to answer that.’ Then I got that call. I was very excited. …
“Me and the Giants, like, we locked in, for sure. Like, I had a great time in my 30 visit there. Like, I connected with everybody in the room -- in every room, actually -- with all the meetings we had, so I had a great connection with them and it’s really just a blessing for them to draft me.”
Jamison-Travis got his first work with New York over the weekend at rookie minicamp.
“With Bobby, one, he’s a guy that has gone the long way,” said Brandon Brown, the Giants’ assistant general manager on Saturday. “When I say really long, he’s gone from junior college. He had his time at Auburn, and he’s a guy that came on the scene a little bit later even though he’s an older prospect.
“You have to understand him as a person. I say more than anything, Bobby is a great father, and that lends to who he is. He’s a young man with three kids under the age of 5 and a loving wife. That’s what he performs for. That’s what drives him. That’s his fuel. Knowing that he comes from a large family in Minneapolis, he’s overcome adversity.
“But what you have seen in his game is strength in knock-back. In the trenches, his hands don’t always work in unison, but that’s coaching. When you look at BJ watching his tape, when you look at our area scouts, whether it’s (college area scout) Scott Hamel, (national scout) Marcus Cooper, going down and saying, ‘Hey, this guy is a little bit off the radar, but he has power in his hands, and he can eat double-teams. He doesn’t get moved by side anchor, and he can create knock-back in a way that when we get into our meetings with Harbs and (general manager) Joe (Schoen).’
“Hey, we want to be thick in the middle. We want to be able to re-establish the line of scrimmage. Create knockback at the nose. He’s not a pass rusher, but what he can do is eat two blocks and he can be firm.
“You saw the flashes. He goes to the Hula Bowl, and he does it a little bit more consistently. Then we bring him on a 30 visit and have another touch point with him and you understand the person and what drives him and motivates him. And can we keep untapping and sharpening his tools in terms of making him a consistent player before we took him? Really getting to understand him is to understand that, yes, he’s a guy that we drafted later, but we’re just as excited about him as guys that went higher in the draft.
“We just knew the opportunity for us was later on because of maybe some of the perceived warts, but for us we’re excited Bobby is here and excited to keep grooming him.”
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