Football News: 4-9-2026
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Dudley Dent
Apr 9, 2026, 7:45:35 AM (4 days ago) Apr 9
to Tiger Tracks
Auburn Football News: 4-9-2026
Spring preview: Auburn's new look WR room is best case scenario:
https://auburnwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/auburn/football/2026/04/08/auburn-football-wide-receiver-preview-spring-breakdown/89510862007/
ESPN Lists This Auburn LB as Name to Watch in 2026:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/espn-lists-auburn-lb-name-to-watch-2026-01knng8cdgca
Auburn football offensive line embraces run-first scheme under Alex Golesh:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/04/auburn-football-offensive-line-embraces-run-first-scheme-under-alex-golesh.html
Stronger, faster Ellis prepared for year two with the Tigers:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/kail-ellis-talks-about-his-development-heading-into-year-two-with-the-tigers-280844691/
Does a 9-game SEC schedule impact expectations for Auburn football?:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/04/does-a-9-game-sec-schedule-impact-expectations-for-auburn-football.html
'Make it count': Auburn edge Jared Smith plots breakout sophomore season:
https://auburntigers.com/news/2026/04/8/make-it-count-auburn-edge-jared-smith-plots-breakout-sophomore-season
Four Tigers Named to NFF Hampshire Honor Society:
https://auburntigers.com/news/2026/04/8/four-tigers-named-to-nff-hampshire-honor-society
Alex Golesh Using USF Ties to Recruit Key Prospect:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/recruiting/alex-golesh-using-usf-ties-to-recruit-key-prospect-01knngzcmxc9
Auburn board to vote on multiple upgrades to Jordan-Hare Stadium:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/04/auburn-board-to-vote-on-multiple-upgrades-to-jordan-hare-stadium.html
Auburn board of trustees to vote on $323 million upgrades to Jordan-Hare Stadium:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/auburn-north-end-zone-jordan-hare-stadium-upgrades-renovations-280820446/
When will Kalen DeBoer, Alex Golesh appear at SEC Media Days 2026?:
https://www.al.com/sports/2026/04/when-will-kalen-deboer-alex-golesh-appear-at-sec-media-days-2026.html
NCAA looking to install ‘5 to play 5’ eligibility rule, report says:
https://www.al.com/sports/2026/04/ncaa-looking-to-install-5-to-play-5-eligibility-rule-report-says.html
Spring preview: Auburn's new look WR room is best case scenario
By Phillip Jordan
Auburn Wire
The Auburn Tigers' wide receivers room looks a lot different than it did in 2025. Players like Cam Coleman, Perry Thompson, and Malcolm Simmons are all gone via the transfer portal. Coleman (Texas) and Simmons (Texas A&M) stayed in the SEC, and Thompson heads to the Big Ten with Minnesota. They were three of the "Freeze Four" brought in during the 2024 recruiting cycle for Auburn.
While those departures in the moment seemed bad, head coach Alex Golesh and wide receivers coach Kodi Burns did a good job rebuilding the position. New quarterback Byrum Brown will have plenty of familiar faces to throw to, with five former South Florida receivers transferring to the Plains. That includes top target Keshaun Singleton, along with Jeremiah Koger, Chas Nimrod, and Christian Neptune. Those four combined for 2,275 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2025. They also added a talented freshman in Kory Pettigrew from the Bulls.
Auburn does return some players from last season's group. The talented Bryce Cain returns to the team looking to reach his potential when he first arrived in 2024. Cain is the only one still on the team from the "Freeze Four". When he committed to the Tigers, he was a four-star prospect who rated as the No. 11 player in Alabama according to 247Sports. Auburn will also have Sam Turner back, who has been with the program for a couple of years. They also have some talented freshmen coming into the program with Brady Marchese, Deshawn Spencer, and Brian Williams.
This is the third part of our spring preview series leading up to the 2026 A-Day game, and here is a look at the Auburn wide receivers.
Keshaun Singleton
Number: 11
Measurements: 6-3, 215 pounds
Class: Junior
Previous School: South Florida
Career Stats:
Receiving: 76 receptions, 1,285 yards, 11 touchdowns
Jeremiah Koger
Number: 4
Measurements: 6-3, 209 pounds
Class: Sophomore
Previous School: South Florida
Career Stats:
Receiving: 38 receptions, 597 yards, 8 touchdowns
Chas Nimrod
Number: 5
Measurements: 6-2, 198 pounds
Class: Senior
Previous School: South Florida
Career Stats:
Receiving: 52 receptions, 781 yards, 4 touchdowns
Christian Neptune
Number: 8
Measurements: 5-11, 189 pounds
Class: Sophomore
Previous School: South Florida
Career Stats:
Receiving: 38 receptions, 335 yards, 1 touchdown
Bryce Cain
Number: 6
Measurements: 5-10, 165 pounds
Class: Sophomore
Previous School: Auburn
Career Stats:
Receiving: 6 receptions, 58 yards
Kick returns: 1 attempt, 31 yards
Kory Pettigrew
Number: 13
Measurements: 6-1, 180 pouns
Class: Redshirt freshman
Previous School: South Florida
Career Stats:
Receiving: 3 receptions, 28 yards
Sam Turner
Number: 18
Measurements: 6-1, 207 pounds
Class: Redshirt freshman
Previous School: Auburn
Career Stats: N/A
Jake White
Number: 89
Measurements: 5-10, 185 pounds
Class: Sophomore
Previous School: Auburn
Career Stats: N/A
Will Upton
Number: 80
Measurements: 5-9, 181 pounds
Class: Junior
Previous School: Auburn
Career Stats:
Punt returns: 1 return, zero yards
Duke Smith
Number: 10
Measurements: 6-0, 205 pounds
Class: Redshirt freshman
Previous School: Auburn
Career Stats:
Rushing: 1 attempt, -5 yards
Erick Smith
Number: 81
Measurements: 6-4, 195 pounds
Class: Redshirt Freshman
Previous School: Auburn
Career Stats: N/A
Deshawn Spencer
Number: 9
Measurements: 5-11, 165 pounds
Class: Freshman
Previous School: Saraland (high school)
Career Stats: N/A
Brady Marchese
Number: 12
Measurements: 6-1, 190 pounds
Class: Freshman
Previous School: Cartersville High School
Career Stats: N/A
Brian Williams
Number: 15
Measurements: 6-4, 190 pounds
Class: Freshman
Previous School: First Academy in Orlando
Career Stats: N/A
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ESPN Lists This Auburn LB as Name to Watch in 2026
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Daily
Over the past few years, DJ Durkin’s Auburn Tigers defense has been an incredibly solid unit that has pulled the struggling Hugh Freeze-era offenses out of the mud in key matchups. A key part of building a roster that performs at such a high level is identifying prospects with high potential early on, as Durkin did with LSU transfer linebacker Xavier Atkins.
Now, ESPN’s Craig Haubert and Tom Luginbill are projecting another young Auburn linebacker to be a key piece of the team’s future: true freshman Adam Balogoun-Ali.
“Auburn has landed a high-upside player whose size and nice length can fit well in an SEC front that demands range and physicality,” they wrote of the former three-star. “His frame can add more size and strength as he further physically develops… he profiles as the kind of modern linebacker Auburn needs against spread-heavy offenses.”
A pair of “modern linebacker[s],” as the ESPN article describes them, have headlined Durkin’s already strong defensive front for multiple years now. It started with the addition of Demarcus Riddick, who has been with the Tigers ever since graduating from high school in 2024, and continued with Xavier Atkins, who transferred from LSU in 2025.
Today, Balogoun-Ali, the next modern Tiger linebacker, has a chance to be a big name for the Tigers’ 2026 group, though ESPN does not project him to make a massive impact right away.
“Balogoun-Ali has shown an ability to quickly pick up and apply coaching points,” Haubert and Luginbill wrote. “Early on, he projects as a rotational piece and special teams contributor whose length and closing burst will show up on kick units and sub packages. As he adds strength and refines his technique, he has the tools to grow into an every-down defender.”
With the aforementioned top-notch linebacker play from Riddick, Atkins and others, the Tigers are certainly not hurting for quality linebackers. However, both Riddick and Atkins are rising juniors this season, so the NFL Draft will become an option towards the tail end of the season.
If the pair decides to hit the Draft after the 2026 season, the Tigers will need to have more top talent waiting in the wings, so Balogoun may be the start of something special, even if he ends up playing more of an understudy role in 2026.
In fairness, though, Riddick was expected to be special teams only his freshman year, but his quality of play not only earned him a starting spot, but also a spot on the 2024 SEC All-Freshman Team.
Especially if the young linebacker spends the 2026 season learning under two of the best linebackers in the league, and one of the best defensive coordinators to boot, he could very well be the next big defensive name on the Plains in 2027 or potentially even 2026 if Durkin calls his number early.
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Auburn football offensive line embraces run-first scheme under Alex Golesh
By Jerry Humphrey III
al.com
Auburn football’s offensive identity under coach Alex Golesh will bring a tempo-style offense built on running the ball.
With a loaded running back room headlined by players like Jeremiah Cobb and Baylor transfer Bryson Washington, Auburn’s offensive linemen are just as excited about this year’s offensive scheme.
“I love running the ball,” Auburn lineman Cole Skinner said Tuesday. “I mean, I came from a triple-option offense out of high school. Running the ball, it definitely puts it on the o-line. If you’re passing the ball all the time, it shows you can’t trust your front to move people and create holes for the back.
“I think him leaning on us to be able to run the ball is putting some pressure on our backs that we can handle. We’ve got to be able to go move that front. We’re playing against the best of the best every single week. So, you’ve got to put it on us to go move that.”
Offensive line coach and running game coordinator Tyler Hudanick oversaw a No. 2 scoring offense that totaled 516 points and averaged 43 points per game last season at South Florida.
Hudanick’s group in 2025 finished No. 10 in the nation averaging 224 rushing yards per game and No. 6 in the nation averaging 7.47 yards per rush.
Skinner played multiple positions on the offensive line for USF but primarily featured at left and right guard during his three seasons with the Bulls. He spoke about the mindset he has brought this spring and the impact the position group has on the entire roster.
“The offensive line has to be the most physical group on the field,” Skinner said. “We just saw it (Tuesday in practice). If the offensive line is the most physical, it brings that out of everything. The defensive line goes harder, the linebackers go harder, the receivers start going harder.
“We need to be the best component on the field to be able to pick up everyone else around us. If it’s not going right with us, it can’t go right with anybody else. We’re not giving the quarterback time; he can’t get the ball out to the receivers. That’s on us. We need to start it up front.”
Auburn’s spring game is set for next Saturday at 2 p.m. CT inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Last week, Auburn scrimmaged at Jordan-Hare Stadium to prepare for the spring game that will return to the traditional format.
“There’s definitely always room to improve,” Skinner said about the private scrimmage. “I think the energy definitely picked up in the scrimmage. We had a lot of high-effort plays on the o-line. It’s still, with our tempo and going so fast, that was our first true testimony on seeing the offense in full-go.
“I still think we need to be in the film room more, dedicating more time to learning stuff fast so that you can snap down, you know your call and you know what you’re doing. If you have the defense slowed down, you have a lot more chances to score, when they’re not ready. That’s where we’ve got to keep picking it up.”
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Stronger, faster Ellis prepared for year two with the Tigers
By Jason Caldwell
Last season true freshman Kail Ellis got thrown into playing time at center for the Auburn Tigers despite being an early high school graduate and not turning 18 years old under later this month. Instead of facing high school players, Ellis was asked to play one of the most important positions on offense. While the experience had its share of ups and downs, it gave him the opportunity to get his feet wet in the Southeastern Conference and to know exactly what he needed to do heading into year number two.
"Being a young guy last year, I definitely lacked some strength, so that's where I'm trying to get better at and I feel like I have improved a little bit there," Ellis said. "And just continue – the speed of the game, being able to move at a good speed and being able to play fast is another thing I've been working on."
Playing fast is a prerequisite for the new offense that Alex Golesh and coordinator Joel Gordon brought to the Plains from USF. Wanting to play up-tempo and get to the line of scrimmage and snap the football, it's an offense that takes a lot of work to be able to execute.
"It's a very complex offense, but the coaches do a great job helping simplify it up front," Eillis said. "The calls we have just try to simplify the plays and keep it all together so the defense can't pick up on any tendencies or signals. It's complex, but the coaches do a great job of explaining it to us"
One of just three offensive linemen back from last season and the only one that got significant playing time, Ellis said he's enjoying getting to know all of his new offensive line teammates this spring. It has also given him the opportunity to help them as they try to handle DJ Durkin's defense every day in practice.
"Just being able to pour into the guys and be like – going against our defense every day last year, being able to help them out," Ellis said of one of his roles this spring. "'Okay this is what they're gonna do with this look, this is what they're gonna do with this look,' and then we have a new schedule this year, but hopefully when we get into the games that we played last year, be able to help them with the crazy third down looks and other looks like that."
Now past the halfway point of the spring, Ellis said he's gotten a good feel for what this program is going to be like under Golesh and he likes the direction for the Tigers.
"We're big on process, so just how much to emphasize that, and because how you do anything is how you do everything," Ellis said. "So that's been our biggest coaching point, is just that. And I feel like that, again, brings us together, and it's gonna make us stronger."
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Does a 9-game SEC schedule impact expectations for Auburn football?
By Peter Rauterkus
al.com
For the third time this decade, Auburn football is set to enter a season with a new head coach and hopes of finally restoring the program to past success.
This time, it’s doing so as the SEC becomes an even tougher conference in which to compete. The 2026 season will be the first in which the SEC will have a nine-game conference schedule, in theory, creating one more tough game for each of its members.
You could argue the format makes things especially difficult for Auburn, which was assigned Alabama, Georgia and Vanderbilt as its three annual opponents. All three of those programs won 10 or more games in 2025.
The extra conference game doesn’t make things any easier for new head coach Alex Golesh and his staff, who are looking to lead Auburn to its first winning season since 2020.
Conversations surrounding Auburn’s expectations have been complicated in recent years. The program has been to multiple national championship games in the past 20 years but hasn’t won more than six games in a season since 2019.
Golesh aims to bring more than just winning seasons back to Auburn, but expectations in Year 1 haven’t been publicly defined by a specific win total.
In an interview with AL.com, Auburn athletic director John Cohen was asked whether the extra SEC game affects expectations. While he didn’t say whether or not it affects his expectations for the Auburn football program, he said that he expected another change to the college football season to come with it.
“I think the expectation of every athletic director in the SEC was that at some level, the nine-game schedule was going to be combined with at least a 16-team CFP field,” Cohen said. “I think that those two should be intertwined for a variety of reasons. More SEC games, there’s going to be more losses for our league.”
Cohen isn’t the only notable SEC figure to criticize the nine-game schedule based on its College Football Playoff implications. New LSU head coach Lane Kiffin told reporters on Wednesday that he was “not a fan” of the expansion given the nature of the CFP.
“I don’t think anybody now that they’ve seen how (playoff) selections have gone, thinks that there’s value in that,” Kiffin said. “You’re gonna continue to have, in my opinion, this threshold, until you go to more teams or a different system, that 10-2 is in and 9-3 is out. So, you just got some more losses in your conference and beat yourself up more.”
The question of whether more games and as a result, more losses for SEC teams, will hurt the conference in a 12-team College Football Playoff will be debated until the 2026 field is set in December.
While the idea of playing more SEC games is seen as positive for some, the current playoff format is the biggest concern that comes with it.
“I love the fact that we’re competing at a higher level. I love the fact that, at least in a season where you’re playing five home games, you’re offering five SEC home games to your fan base,” Cohen said. “I loved everything about the 9-game season, if there’s a 16 or higher CFP field. With 12, that’s hard to reconcile.”
For Auburn, reaching the CFP has felt more like a dream than a realistic goal in recent years. That’s not to say it’s impossible, but few would consider Year 1 under Golesh a disappointment for simply failing to reach the playoff.
Auburn has never made the College Football Playoff, in any format, and hasn’t played in the SEC Championship game since 2017. But more SEC games still create more losable games, regardless of where you are in the conference’s pecking order.
Neither Cohen nor Golesh has publicly put a number on what expectations are in 2026. Whatever the ideal win total is, though, Auburn will have one less tune up game to reach that number than in years past.
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'Make it count': Auburn edge Jared Smith plots breakout sophomore season
By Jeff Shearer
While backing up future NFL pass rushers Keldric Faulk and Keyron Crawford as a true freshman last season, edge Jared Smith took notes.
“I learned from them all year long how to be a pro,” Smith said. “That’s my biggest thing. How to be a pro and being consistent. I was looking at their body language, how they carried themselves.”
Smith made the most of his opportunities as a true freshman in 2025. Of his five tackles, four them came behind the line of scrimmage, including a pair of sacks.
For a sophomore encore, Smith hopes to duplicate that production on a grander scale.
“Everything last year times 10,” Smith said. “Effort, consistency and relentless.”
At 6-6, 260 pounds, Smith stands out during Auburn’s spring practice.
“Working on being consistent every day,” he said.
“That group has gotten better every single day,” Auburn head coach Alex Golesh said. “They’re asked to do a bunch of different things. Jared Smith has gotten better and more confident every single day. It’s been fun to watch. They’ve gotten better as a group.”
After showing promise as a freshman who arrived at Auburn ranked among the top five in the country at his position, Smith would’ve had his choice of destinations, had he chosen to leave.
The return of Auburn defensive coordinator DJ Durkin prompted Smith and many of his defensive teammates to stay.
“Coach Durkin,” Smith said. “Believing in him and him believing in me. Seeing all these guys on the defense, why not?”
For his second season on the Plains, Smith works with a new position coach, Coleman Hutzler, who tutors the Tigers’ bucks and edges.
“He’s going to get on you,” Smith said. “It’s tough coaching. We didn’t come here for soft coaching, we came to win the SEC championship. That’s how all the guys are in the edge room. That’s what it’s going to take.”
Preparing for his second college football season, Smith learns from senior edge Da’Shawn Womack, a veteran of three SEC seasons at LSU and Ole Miss.
“His work ethic,” Smith said. “He’s a senior. His grit, he comes to work every day.”
“Womack is the one guy who’s played a ton of football who’s taken some leadership in that group,” Golesh said. “The young guys have gotten old really quickly. They’ve come along really well.”
“We’ve got a bunch of guys who can play the buck position and the defensive end position,” Hutzler said. “That creates a lot of versatility for us as a defense.”
Smith also sees greatness in true freshman Jaquez Wilkes from Wadley, Alabama.
“He’s going to be special for sure,” Smith said.
A state champion at Thompson High School, Jared Smith wants to help lead Auburn back to the top in the Southeastern Conference, a message reinforced by spring practice visits from alumni.
“Seeing all the former players come back and seeing how much they’re pouring into us, who wouldn’t want to do that?” Smith said. “It’ll be special.”
From those former Tigers, including NFL legends Cam Newton and Takeo Spikes, Smith received advice he plans to implement.
“This place is special,” Smith said. “Every time you step on the field, make it count.”
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Four Tigers Named to NFF Hampshire Honor Society
By Taylor Bryan
Four Auburn Football lettermen have been named to the 2026 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society.
Auburn Football has had student-athletes honored 65 times over the last two decades since the program's inception in 2007.
Student-athletes recognized include tight ends Camden Etheredge (3.34 GPA, business administration) and Brandon Frazier (3.21 GPA, supply chain management); long snapper Reed Hughes (3.71 GPA, journalism); and center Connor Lew (3.87 GPA, aviation management). Etheredge and Lew graduated in December 2025. Frazier, who earned his undergraduate degree from the College of Business in December 2023, completed a master's degree in December 2025. Hughes earned his undergraduate degree in 2023 and is currently pursuing a master's degree.
In its 20th year, the Hampshire Honor Society recognizes football players who are a starter or a significant contributor in 2025, have been enrolled in school at least three years and achieved a 3.2 cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale) or better throughout their college career.
The Hampshire Honor Society recognizes players from college football programs at all levels. The complete list can be found on the NFF website, footballfoundation.org.
NFF Honor Society
2007: Kody Bliss, Karibi Dede, Will Herring
2008: Cole Bennett, Josh Thompson
2010: John Cubelic
2011: Ryan Pugh
2012: Barrett Trotter
2013: Ashton Richardson
2014: Steven Clark
2015: Patrick Young
2016: Duncan McKinney, Tucker Tuberville, Jonathan Wallace
2017: Alex Kozan, Kevin Phillips
2018: Pete Berryman, Daniel Carlson, Casey Dunn, Ike Powell, Braden Smith, Tyler Stovall, Keenan Sweeney
2019: Tucker Brown, Ian Shannon
2020: Jack Driscoll, Jacob Rogers
2021: Tanner Dean, Bill Taylor, Barrett Tindall
2022: Bydarrius Knighten, Russ Logan, Grant Loy, Jackson McFadden, David Shannon, Brooks Walton, Chandler Wooten
2023: John Reese Bellew, Nick Brahms, Anders Carlson, Jonathan LeGrand, Tommy Nesmith
2024: Jackson Billings, Gunner Britton, Tyler Fromm, Avery Jones, Jake Levant, Trent Mason, Elijah McAllister, Evan McGuire, Marshall Meyers, Jacob Quattlebaum
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Alex Golesh Using USF Ties to Recruit Key Prospect
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Daily
Alex Golesh has certainly made some waves in his first few months with the Auburn Tigers, though nothing has quite gotten him attention like the number of transfers from his former program, the USF Bulls. Now, he is carrying over some of his old USF offers to the Plains, and Andre Scott is one of the few Golesh is choosing to re-offer in his new job.
Scott is a 5-foot-10, 190-pound safety in the 2029 class who was offered by USF back in September of 2025, when Golesh was still at the helm. A student at Port Charlotte in Florida, Scott received his second offer from Golesh's program on Saturday.
Auburn Tigers on SI caught up with Scott to talk about his Auburn offer as well as his recruitment as a whole.
“[The visit] went great,” he said. “Had an amazing conversation with Coach DVD [Demarcus Van Dyke, cornerbacks coach]. [The coaches] are loving and take pride in what they do and want the best for everyone.”
https://twitter.com/AndreScott34/status/2040586464065466397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2040586464065466397%7Ctwgr%5E22fa88fe06b3220b1cc08514fb423a042f38d418%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fcollege%2Fauburn%2Frecruiting%2Falex-golesh-using-usf-ties-to-recruit-key-prospect-01knngzcmxc9
Scott said that Auburn is “definitely top two” on his list, and that he would love to visit the Plains again, though he does not have a visit set up at this time. He describes himself as a hard-working, high-effort player, and he is hoping to make waves when he gets to the collegiate level.
“I’m a leader and play aggressive,” he said. “[I’m planning to continue high school] with a chip on my shoulder to keep grinding for more.”
The choice to court a prospect that Golesh had previously offered at his previous program is interesting, and it opens the door for Golesh to use his influence from USF to swing commitments to Auburn.
Golesh has already worked to land a few recruits that he had offered back at USF, not the least of which is Will Mencl, who received offers from both Golesh and former Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze last year. Now, Auburn is listed at a ‘warm’ interest level for the four-star quarterback as Golesh has continued in his pursuit of him.
It is, most definitely, a unique landscape in football right now, and Golesh is making the most of it. After all, the Plains is quite the pitch as is; now that a previous connection and proof of continued interest have been tacked on, Golesh has evidently become quite difficult to turn down.
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Auburn board to vote on multiple upgrades to Jordan-Hare Stadium
By Peter Rauterkus
al.com
Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium north endzone renovation project is now seeking final approval.
The project, which was initiated in September 2024, will add a multi-purpose event center to the north endzone of Jordan-Hare Stadium. A vote for the project’s final approval will take place at the Auburn Board of Trustees’ April 17 meeting.
It’s the second major project to that side of the stadium in recent years after Auburn added a second video board to the north endzone in 2025.
The new north endzone project will construct a seven-story, approximately 300,000 square-foot addition to the existing stadium, according to the board’s meeting materials documents.
The multi-purpose building is designed to for both gameday and campus use, according to the materials documents, and will include dining and concession venues, a multi-purpose hall and ballroom, and new premium suites.
“It’s important because we have a need. The Auburn Family has expressed a great deal of interest in more premium options,” Cohen told AL.com in a February 2025 interview. “Every premium option we have offered since I have been at Auburn has been an immediate success. And it’s not because of John Cohen, it’s because of a demand for premium seating.”
Inspiration for the project at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Cohen said, came from similar projects done at Mississippi State’s Davis Wade Stadium and Arkansas’ Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
The estimated cost of the project is $305 million and will be financed by bond and gift funds, according to the materials documents.
Along with seeking final approval for the multi-purpose building, the board will also vote on a proposal for a “re-envisioning” of the space outside Jordan-Hare Stadium.
That project will, “construct an elevated plaza above Heisman Drive between Jordan-Hare Stadium and Petrie Hall, including expanded hardscape and landscape on the plaza and operational support space for the North Endzone Multipurpose Events Center,” according to the materials documents.
The cost for that project is $18 million, according to the meetings materials documents, meaning $323 million in total renovations will be voted on next week.
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Auburn board of trustees to vote on $323 million upgrades to Jordan-Hare Stadium
By Nathan King
Auburn's board of trustees will vote next Friday on final approval for upgrades worth $323 million on the north side of Jordan-Hare Stadium, according to materials presented to the board this week by the university's committee for facilities.
Named the "Jordan-Hare Stadium North Endzone Multipurpose Events Center Addition," next week is the long-awaited next step to the stadium's renovations in the north end zone, which began last football season with a new videoboard. The initial proposal for a multipurpose upgrade to the stadium was initiated in the fall of 2024.
A master plan by athletic director John Cohen for the past few years, the new Jordan-Hare Stadium add-on is set to introduce "a seven-story, approximately 300,000 square-foot building addition to the stadium with new campus and gameday kitchens, flexible dining and concession venues, a multi-purpose hall and ballroom, intentionally flexible spaces for campus and gameday usage, and new club and premium suites," according to the materials presented to the board of trustees.
Since the board approved architects and construction managers for the project last year, Auburn's facilities committee has now returned with official renderings of the multipurpose center, which carries a budget of $305 million from "bond and gift funds."
Next week's vote will also include the proposal for a "re-envisioning" of the space outside Jordan-Hare Stadium. The "North Plaza" project carries a budget of $18 million, per the BOT materials. Two renderings were also provided for that project, which connects to the multipurpose center.
"Reenvisioning campus between Jordan-Hare Stadium and Haley Center offers an opportunity to reimagine this zone for the next generation of the Auburn family," per the materials. "This project, along with the future development of Haley Center will recenter student life around the Thach Concourse, bringing our stadium into the everyday, and offering an exceptional student experience in a development that is distinctly Auburn.
The North Plaza will include an "elevated connection" to the new multipurpose center from Petrie Hall, which is the closest on-campus building to the north side of Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The first round of upgrades in the north end zone, namely a new videoboard, were approved in February of 2024, costing approximately $26 million. The scoreboard on that end of the stadium had not been renovated since it was added in 1987.
In all, the stadium's north-side upgrades, including the videboard, will have a price tag of approximately $350 million.
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When will Kalen DeBoer, Alex Golesh appear at SEC Media Days 2026?
By Creg Stephenson
al.com
The head football coaches’ appearance schedule for SEC Media Days 2026 has been set and was released by the league office on Wednesday.
SEC Media Days 2026 is set for July 20-23 at the Tampa Marriott Water Street and JW Marriott in Tampa, Fla. It will be the first time the SEC’s annual kickoff event has taken place in the state of Florida.
Here’s the full coaches appearance schedule. Coaches are listed alphabetically by school by day, not necessarily in the order in which they will appear.
SEC Network will televise all of SEC Media Days again this year. Athletes from each school who will attend will be announced at a later date.
Monday, July 20
Will Stein, Kentucky
Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri
Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Tuesday, July 21
Alex Golesh, Auburn
Kirby Smart, Georgia
Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
Wednesday, July 22
Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
Jon Sumrall, Florida
Pete Golding, Ole Miss
Mike Elko, Texas A&M
Thursday, July 23
Ryan Silverfield, Arkansas
Lane Kiffin, LSU
Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State
Steve Sarkisian, Texas
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NCAA looking to install ‘5 to play 5’ eligibility rule, report says
By Creg Stephenson
al.com
The NCAA Division I Cabinet is looking to discuss a number of changes to its eligibility rules when it meets next week, according to a report Wednesday by Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.
According to the report, the NCAA will propose a “five to play five” rule. That is, athletes would have five years to play five seasons from the time they enroll in college.
There would be no granting of redshirts or waivers in order to receive additional years, except in extraordinary circumstances. Examples that might fall under waiver consideration would be military service, religious missionary work or maternity leave.
There would also be age limits under the new proposal. The five-year eligibility “clock” would begin at an athlete’s 19th birthday or when they graduate from high school, whichever is earlier.
It’s not entirely clear when the new rules might take effect if adopted. However, it’s likely athletes already enrolled would be “grandfathered in” with no change to their eligibility status.
The proposal tracks with some of the language in President Donald Trump’s executive order issued Friday. However, any action resulting from the executive order would need approval from state and federal courts, which are almost certain to hear more eligibility cases.
Attempts to enforce rules regarding player compensation and “movement” (i.e., transferring) have largely been struck down in court. However, the NCAA has won a number of high-profile eligibility cases in recent months.
Former Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar and former Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris both had their attempts to gain an extra year of eligibility — a sixth for Aguilar, a seventh for Morris — denied by state courts. Former Alabama basketball player Charles Bediako — who entered the NBA draft in 2023 and played in the G League for three years before returning to action with the Crimson Tide in January — had his eligibility nullified after five games by a circuit court judge after a different judge had granted him a temporary restraining order against the NCAA.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, however, was granted a preliminary injunction by a Mississippi judge after the NCAA had first denied his request for a medical redshirt and a sixth year of eligibility. He is set to suit up for the Rebels this fall after the Mississippi Supreme Court declined to hear the NCAA’s appeal.
Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke also recently filed suit for an additional year of eligibility. That case is set to go to court next week.
Spring preview: Auburn's new look WR room is best case scenario:
https://auburnwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/auburn/football/2026/04/08/auburn-football-wide-receiver-preview-spring-breakdown/89510862007/
ESPN Lists This Auburn LB as Name to Watch in 2026:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/football/espn-lists-auburn-lb-name-to-watch-2026-01knng8cdgca
Auburn football offensive line embraces run-first scheme under Alex Golesh:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/04/auburn-football-offensive-line-embraces-run-first-scheme-under-alex-golesh.html
Stronger, faster Ellis prepared for year two with the Tigers:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/kail-ellis-talks-about-his-development-heading-into-year-two-with-the-tigers-280844691/
Does a 9-game SEC schedule impact expectations for Auburn football?:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/04/does-a-9-game-sec-schedule-impact-expectations-for-auburn-football.html
'Make it count': Auburn edge Jared Smith plots breakout sophomore season:
https://auburntigers.com/news/2026/04/8/make-it-count-auburn-edge-jared-smith-plots-breakout-sophomore-season
Four Tigers Named to NFF Hampshire Honor Society:
https://auburntigers.com/news/2026/04/8/four-tigers-named-to-nff-hampshire-honor-society
Alex Golesh Using USF Ties to Recruit Key Prospect:
https://www.si.com/college/auburn/recruiting/alex-golesh-using-usf-ties-to-recruit-key-prospect-01knngzcmxc9
Auburn board to vote on multiple upgrades to Jordan-Hare Stadium:
https://www.al.com/auburnfootball/2026/04/auburn-board-to-vote-on-multiple-upgrades-to-jordan-hare-stadium.html
Auburn board of trustees to vote on $323 million upgrades to Jordan-Hare Stadium:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/auburn-north-end-zone-jordan-hare-stadium-upgrades-renovations-280820446/
When will Kalen DeBoer, Alex Golesh appear at SEC Media Days 2026?:
https://www.al.com/sports/2026/04/when-will-kalen-deboer-alex-golesh-appear-at-sec-media-days-2026.html
NCAA looking to install ‘5 to play 5’ eligibility rule, report says:
https://www.al.com/sports/2026/04/ncaa-looking-to-install-5-to-play-5-eligibility-rule-report-says.html
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By Phillip Jordan
Auburn Wire
The Auburn Tigers' wide receivers room looks a lot different than it did in 2025. Players like Cam Coleman, Perry Thompson, and Malcolm Simmons are all gone via the transfer portal. Coleman (Texas) and Simmons (Texas A&M) stayed in the SEC, and Thompson heads to the Big Ten with Minnesota. They were three of the "Freeze Four" brought in during the 2024 recruiting cycle for Auburn.
While those departures in the moment seemed bad, head coach Alex Golesh and wide receivers coach Kodi Burns did a good job rebuilding the position. New quarterback Byrum Brown will have plenty of familiar faces to throw to, with five former South Florida receivers transferring to the Plains. That includes top target Keshaun Singleton, along with Jeremiah Koger, Chas Nimrod, and Christian Neptune. Those four combined for 2,275 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2025. They also added a talented freshman in Kory Pettigrew from the Bulls.
Auburn does return some players from last season's group. The talented Bryce Cain returns to the team looking to reach his potential when he first arrived in 2024. Cain is the only one still on the team from the "Freeze Four". When he committed to the Tigers, he was a four-star prospect who rated as the No. 11 player in Alabama according to 247Sports. Auburn will also have Sam Turner back, who has been with the program for a couple of years. They also have some talented freshmen coming into the program with Brady Marchese, Deshawn Spencer, and Brian Williams.
This is the third part of our spring preview series leading up to the 2026 A-Day game, and here is a look at the Auburn wide receivers.
Keshaun Singleton
Number: 11
Measurements: 6-3, 215 pounds
Class: Junior
Previous School: South Florida
Career Stats:
Receiving: 76 receptions, 1,285 yards, 11 touchdowns
Jeremiah Koger
Number: 4
Measurements: 6-3, 209 pounds
Class: Sophomore
Previous School: South Florida
Career Stats:
Receiving: 38 receptions, 597 yards, 8 touchdowns
Chas Nimrod
Number: 5
Measurements: 6-2, 198 pounds
Class: Senior
Previous School: South Florida
Career Stats:
Receiving: 52 receptions, 781 yards, 4 touchdowns
Christian Neptune
Number: 8
Measurements: 5-11, 189 pounds
Class: Sophomore
Previous School: South Florida
Career Stats:
Receiving: 38 receptions, 335 yards, 1 touchdown
Bryce Cain
Number: 6
Measurements: 5-10, 165 pounds
Class: Sophomore
Previous School: Auburn
Career Stats:
Receiving: 6 receptions, 58 yards
Kick returns: 1 attempt, 31 yards
Kory Pettigrew
Number: 13
Measurements: 6-1, 180 pouns
Class: Redshirt freshman
Previous School: South Florida
Career Stats:
Receiving: 3 receptions, 28 yards
Sam Turner
Number: 18
Measurements: 6-1, 207 pounds
Class: Redshirt freshman
Previous School: Auburn
Career Stats: N/A
Jake White
Number: 89
Measurements: 5-10, 185 pounds
Class: Sophomore
Previous School: Auburn
Career Stats: N/A
Will Upton
Number: 80
Measurements: 5-9, 181 pounds
Class: Junior
Previous School: Auburn
Career Stats:
Punt returns: 1 return, zero yards
Duke Smith
Number: 10
Measurements: 6-0, 205 pounds
Class: Redshirt freshman
Previous School: Auburn
Career Stats:
Rushing: 1 attempt, -5 yards
Erick Smith
Number: 81
Measurements: 6-4, 195 pounds
Class: Redshirt Freshman
Previous School: Auburn
Career Stats: N/A
Deshawn Spencer
Number: 9
Measurements: 5-11, 165 pounds
Class: Freshman
Previous School: Saraland (high school)
Career Stats: N/A
Brady Marchese
Number: 12
Measurements: 6-1, 190 pounds
Class: Freshman
Previous School: Cartersville High School
Career Stats: N/A
Brian Williams
Number: 15
Measurements: 6-4, 190 pounds
Class: Freshman
Previous School: First Academy in Orlando
Career Stats: N/A
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ESPN Lists This Auburn LB as Name to Watch in 2026
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Daily
Over the past few years, DJ Durkin’s Auburn Tigers defense has been an incredibly solid unit that has pulled the struggling Hugh Freeze-era offenses out of the mud in key matchups. A key part of building a roster that performs at such a high level is identifying prospects with high potential early on, as Durkin did with LSU transfer linebacker Xavier Atkins.
Now, ESPN’s Craig Haubert and Tom Luginbill are projecting another young Auburn linebacker to be a key piece of the team’s future: true freshman Adam Balogoun-Ali.
“Auburn has landed a high-upside player whose size and nice length can fit well in an SEC front that demands range and physicality,” they wrote of the former three-star. “His frame can add more size and strength as he further physically develops… he profiles as the kind of modern linebacker Auburn needs against spread-heavy offenses.”
A pair of “modern linebacker[s],” as the ESPN article describes them, have headlined Durkin’s already strong defensive front for multiple years now. It started with the addition of Demarcus Riddick, who has been with the Tigers ever since graduating from high school in 2024, and continued with Xavier Atkins, who transferred from LSU in 2025.
Today, Balogoun-Ali, the next modern Tiger linebacker, has a chance to be a big name for the Tigers’ 2026 group, though ESPN does not project him to make a massive impact right away.
“Balogoun-Ali has shown an ability to quickly pick up and apply coaching points,” Haubert and Luginbill wrote. “Early on, he projects as a rotational piece and special teams contributor whose length and closing burst will show up on kick units and sub packages. As he adds strength and refines his technique, he has the tools to grow into an every-down defender.”
With the aforementioned top-notch linebacker play from Riddick, Atkins and others, the Tigers are certainly not hurting for quality linebackers. However, both Riddick and Atkins are rising juniors this season, so the NFL Draft will become an option towards the tail end of the season.
If the pair decides to hit the Draft after the 2026 season, the Tigers will need to have more top talent waiting in the wings, so Balogoun may be the start of something special, even if he ends up playing more of an understudy role in 2026.
In fairness, though, Riddick was expected to be special teams only his freshman year, but his quality of play not only earned him a starting spot, but also a spot on the 2024 SEC All-Freshman Team.
Especially if the young linebacker spends the 2026 season learning under two of the best linebackers in the league, and one of the best defensive coordinators to boot, he could very well be the next big defensive name on the Plains in 2027 or potentially even 2026 if Durkin calls his number early.
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Auburn football offensive line embraces run-first scheme under Alex Golesh
By Jerry Humphrey III
al.com
Auburn football’s offensive identity under coach Alex Golesh will bring a tempo-style offense built on running the ball.
With a loaded running back room headlined by players like Jeremiah Cobb and Baylor transfer Bryson Washington, Auburn’s offensive linemen are just as excited about this year’s offensive scheme.
“I love running the ball,” Auburn lineman Cole Skinner said Tuesday. “I mean, I came from a triple-option offense out of high school. Running the ball, it definitely puts it on the o-line. If you’re passing the ball all the time, it shows you can’t trust your front to move people and create holes for the back.
“I think him leaning on us to be able to run the ball is putting some pressure on our backs that we can handle. We’ve got to be able to go move that front. We’re playing against the best of the best every single week. So, you’ve got to put it on us to go move that.”
Offensive line coach and running game coordinator Tyler Hudanick oversaw a No. 2 scoring offense that totaled 516 points and averaged 43 points per game last season at South Florida.
Hudanick’s group in 2025 finished No. 10 in the nation averaging 224 rushing yards per game and No. 6 in the nation averaging 7.47 yards per rush.
Skinner played multiple positions on the offensive line for USF but primarily featured at left and right guard during his three seasons with the Bulls. He spoke about the mindset he has brought this spring and the impact the position group has on the entire roster.
“The offensive line has to be the most physical group on the field,” Skinner said. “We just saw it (Tuesday in practice). If the offensive line is the most physical, it brings that out of everything. The defensive line goes harder, the linebackers go harder, the receivers start going harder.
“We need to be the best component on the field to be able to pick up everyone else around us. If it’s not going right with us, it can’t go right with anybody else. We’re not giving the quarterback time; he can’t get the ball out to the receivers. That’s on us. We need to start it up front.”
Auburn’s spring game is set for next Saturday at 2 p.m. CT inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Last week, Auburn scrimmaged at Jordan-Hare Stadium to prepare for the spring game that will return to the traditional format.
“There’s definitely always room to improve,” Skinner said about the private scrimmage. “I think the energy definitely picked up in the scrimmage. We had a lot of high-effort plays on the o-line. It’s still, with our tempo and going so fast, that was our first true testimony on seeing the offense in full-go.
“I still think we need to be in the film room more, dedicating more time to learning stuff fast so that you can snap down, you know your call and you know what you’re doing. If you have the defense slowed down, you have a lot more chances to score, when they’re not ready. That’s where we’ve got to keep picking it up.”
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Stronger, faster Ellis prepared for year two with the Tigers
By Jason Caldwell
Last season true freshman Kail Ellis got thrown into playing time at center for the Auburn Tigers despite being an early high school graduate and not turning 18 years old under later this month. Instead of facing high school players, Ellis was asked to play one of the most important positions on offense. While the experience had its share of ups and downs, it gave him the opportunity to get his feet wet in the Southeastern Conference and to know exactly what he needed to do heading into year number two.
"Being a young guy last year, I definitely lacked some strength, so that's where I'm trying to get better at and I feel like I have improved a little bit there," Ellis said. "And just continue – the speed of the game, being able to move at a good speed and being able to play fast is another thing I've been working on."
Playing fast is a prerequisite for the new offense that Alex Golesh and coordinator Joel Gordon brought to the Plains from USF. Wanting to play up-tempo and get to the line of scrimmage and snap the football, it's an offense that takes a lot of work to be able to execute.
"It's a very complex offense, but the coaches do a great job helping simplify it up front," Eillis said. "The calls we have just try to simplify the plays and keep it all together so the defense can't pick up on any tendencies or signals. It's complex, but the coaches do a great job of explaining it to us"
One of just three offensive linemen back from last season and the only one that got significant playing time, Ellis said he's enjoying getting to know all of his new offensive line teammates this spring. It has also given him the opportunity to help them as they try to handle DJ Durkin's defense every day in practice.
"Just being able to pour into the guys and be like – going against our defense every day last year, being able to help them out," Ellis said of one of his roles this spring. "'Okay this is what they're gonna do with this look, this is what they're gonna do with this look,' and then we have a new schedule this year, but hopefully when we get into the games that we played last year, be able to help them with the crazy third down looks and other looks like that."
Now past the halfway point of the spring, Ellis said he's gotten a good feel for what this program is going to be like under Golesh and he likes the direction for the Tigers.
"We're big on process, so just how much to emphasize that, and because how you do anything is how you do everything," Ellis said. "So that's been our biggest coaching point, is just that. And I feel like that, again, brings us together, and it's gonna make us stronger."
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Does a 9-game SEC schedule impact expectations for Auburn football?
By Peter Rauterkus
al.com
For the third time this decade, Auburn football is set to enter a season with a new head coach and hopes of finally restoring the program to past success.
This time, it’s doing so as the SEC becomes an even tougher conference in which to compete. The 2026 season will be the first in which the SEC will have a nine-game conference schedule, in theory, creating one more tough game for each of its members.
You could argue the format makes things especially difficult for Auburn, which was assigned Alabama, Georgia and Vanderbilt as its three annual opponents. All three of those programs won 10 or more games in 2025.
The extra conference game doesn’t make things any easier for new head coach Alex Golesh and his staff, who are looking to lead Auburn to its first winning season since 2020.
Conversations surrounding Auburn’s expectations have been complicated in recent years. The program has been to multiple national championship games in the past 20 years but hasn’t won more than six games in a season since 2019.
Golesh aims to bring more than just winning seasons back to Auburn, but expectations in Year 1 haven’t been publicly defined by a specific win total.
In an interview with AL.com, Auburn athletic director John Cohen was asked whether the extra SEC game affects expectations. While he didn’t say whether or not it affects his expectations for the Auburn football program, he said that he expected another change to the college football season to come with it.
“I think the expectation of every athletic director in the SEC was that at some level, the nine-game schedule was going to be combined with at least a 16-team CFP field,” Cohen said. “I think that those two should be intertwined for a variety of reasons. More SEC games, there’s going to be more losses for our league.”
Cohen isn’t the only notable SEC figure to criticize the nine-game schedule based on its College Football Playoff implications. New LSU head coach Lane Kiffin told reporters on Wednesday that he was “not a fan” of the expansion given the nature of the CFP.
“I don’t think anybody now that they’ve seen how (playoff) selections have gone, thinks that there’s value in that,” Kiffin said. “You’re gonna continue to have, in my opinion, this threshold, until you go to more teams or a different system, that 10-2 is in and 9-3 is out. So, you just got some more losses in your conference and beat yourself up more.”
The question of whether more games and as a result, more losses for SEC teams, will hurt the conference in a 12-team College Football Playoff will be debated until the 2026 field is set in December.
While the idea of playing more SEC games is seen as positive for some, the current playoff format is the biggest concern that comes with it.
“I love the fact that we’re competing at a higher level. I love the fact that, at least in a season where you’re playing five home games, you’re offering five SEC home games to your fan base,” Cohen said. “I loved everything about the 9-game season, if there’s a 16 or higher CFP field. With 12, that’s hard to reconcile.”
For Auburn, reaching the CFP has felt more like a dream than a realistic goal in recent years. That’s not to say it’s impossible, but few would consider Year 1 under Golesh a disappointment for simply failing to reach the playoff.
Auburn has never made the College Football Playoff, in any format, and hasn’t played in the SEC Championship game since 2017. But more SEC games still create more losable games, regardless of where you are in the conference’s pecking order.
Neither Cohen nor Golesh has publicly put a number on what expectations are in 2026. Whatever the ideal win total is, though, Auburn will have one less tune up game to reach that number than in years past.
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'Make it count': Auburn edge Jared Smith plots breakout sophomore season
By Jeff Shearer
While backing up future NFL pass rushers Keldric Faulk and Keyron Crawford as a true freshman last season, edge Jared Smith took notes.
“I learned from them all year long how to be a pro,” Smith said. “That’s my biggest thing. How to be a pro and being consistent. I was looking at their body language, how they carried themselves.”
Smith made the most of his opportunities as a true freshman in 2025. Of his five tackles, four them came behind the line of scrimmage, including a pair of sacks.
For a sophomore encore, Smith hopes to duplicate that production on a grander scale.
“Everything last year times 10,” Smith said. “Effort, consistency and relentless.”
At 6-6, 260 pounds, Smith stands out during Auburn’s spring practice.
“Working on being consistent every day,” he said.
“That group has gotten better every single day,” Auburn head coach Alex Golesh said. “They’re asked to do a bunch of different things. Jared Smith has gotten better and more confident every single day. It’s been fun to watch. They’ve gotten better as a group.”
After showing promise as a freshman who arrived at Auburn ranked among the top five in the country at his position, Smith would’ve had his choice of destinations, had he chosen to leave.
The return of Auburn defensive coordinator DJ Durkin prompted Smith and many of his defensive teammates to stay.
“Coach Durkin,” Smith said. “Believing in him and him believing in me. Seeing all these guys on the defense, why not?”
For his second season on the Plains, Smith works with a new position coach, Coleman Hutzler, who tutors the Tigers’ bucks and edges.
“He’s going to get on you,” Smith said. “It’s tough coaching. We didn’t come here for soft coaching, we came to win the SEC championship. That’s how all the guys are in the edge room. That’s what it’s going to take.”
Preparing for his second college football season, Smith learns from senior edge Da’Shawn Womack, a veteran of three SEC seasons at LSU and Ole Miss.
“His work ethic,” Smith said. “He’s a senior. His grit, he comes to work every day.”
“Womack is the one guy who’s played a ton of football who’s taken some leadership in that group,” Golesh said. “The young guys have gotten old really quickly. They’ve come along really well.”
“We’ve got a bunch of guys who can play the buck position and the defensive end position,” Hutzler said. “That creates a lot of versatility for us as a defense.”
Smith also sees greatness in true freshman Jaquez Wilkes from Wadley, Alabama.
“He’s going to be special for sure,” Smith said.
A state champion at Thompson High School, Jared Smith wants to help lead Auburn back to the top in the Southeastern Conference, a message reinforced by spring practice visits from alumni.
“Seeing all the former players come back and seeing how much they’re pouring into us, who wouldn’t want to do that?” Smith said. “It’ll be special.”
From those former Tigers, including NFL legends Cam Newton and Takeo Spikes, Smith received advice he plans to implement.
“This place is special,” Smith said. “Every time you step on the field, make it count.”
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Four Tigers Named to NFF Hampshire Honor Society
By Taylor Bryan
Four Auburn Football lettermen have been named to the 2026 National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society.
Auburn Football has had student-athletes honored 65 times over the last two decades since the program's inception in 2007.
Student-athletes recognized include tight ends Camden Etheredge (3.34 GPA, business administration) and Brandon Frazier (3.21 GPA, supply chain management); long snapper Reed Hughes (3.71 GPA, journalism); and center Connor Lew (3.87 GPA, aviation management). Etheredge and Lew graduated in December 2025. Frazier, who earned his undergraduate degree from the College of Business in December 2023, completed a master's degree in December 2025. Hughes earned his undergraduate degree in 2023 and is currently pursuing a master's degree.
In its 20th year, the Hampshire Honor Society recognizes football players who are a starter or a significant contributor in 2025, have been enrolled in school at least three years and achieved a 3.2 cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale) or better throughout their college career.
The Hampshire Honor Society recognizes players from college football programs at all levels. The complete list can be found on the NFF website, footballfoundation.org.
NFF Honor Society
2007: Kody Bliss, Karibi Dede, Will Herring
2008: Cole Bennett, Josh Thompson
2010: John Cubelic
2011: Ryan Pugh
2012: Barrett Trotter
2013: Ashton Richardson
2014: Steven Clark
2015: Patrick Young
2016: Duncan McKinney, Tucker Tuberville, Jonathan Wallace
2017: Alex Kozan, Kevin Phillips
2018: Pete Berryman, Daniel Carlson, Casey Dunn, Ike Powell, Braden Smith, Tyler Stovall, Keenan Sweeney
2019: Tucker Brown, Ian Shannon
2020: Jack Driscoll, Jacob Rogers
2021: Tanner Dean, Bill Taylor, Barrett Tindall
2022: Bydarrius Knighten, Russ Logan, Grant Loy, Jackson McFadden, David Shannon, Brooks Walton, Chandler Wooten
2023: John Reese Bellew, Nick Brahms, Anders Carlson, Jonathan LeGrand, Tommy Nesmith
2024: Jackson Billings, Gunner Britton, Tyler Fromm, Avery Jones, Jake Levant, Trent Mason, Elijah McAllister, Evan McGuire, Marshall Meyers, Jacob Quattlebaum
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Alex Golesh Using USF Ties to Recruit Key Prospect
By Brooks Crew
Auburn Daily
Alex Golesh has certainly made some waves in his first few months with the Auburn Tigers, though nothing has quite gotten him attention like the number of transfers from his former program, the USF Bulls. Now, he is carrying over some of his old USF offers to the Plains, and Andre Scott is one of the few Golesh is choosing to re-offer in his new job.
Scott is a 5-foot-10, 190-pound safety in the 2029 class who was offered by USF back in September of 2025, when Golesh was still at the helm. A student at Port Charlotte in Florida, Scott received his second offer from Golesh's program on Saturday.
Auburn Tigers on SI caught up with Scott to talk about his Auburn offer as well as his recruitment as a whole.
“[The visit] went great,” he said. “Had an amazing conversation with Coach DVD [Demarcus Van Dyke, cornerbacks coach]. [The coaches] are loving and take pride in what they do and want the best for everyone.”
https://twitter.com/AndreScott34/status/2040586464065466397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2040586464065466397%7Ctwgr%5E22fa88fe06b3220b1cc08514fb423a042f38d418%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fcollege%2Fauburn%2Frecruiting%2Falex-golesh-using-usf-ties-to-recruit-key-prospect-01knngzcmxc9
Scott said that Auburn is “definitely top two” on his list, and that he would love to visit the Plains again, though he does not have a visit set up at this time. He describes himself as a hard-working, high-effort player, and he is hoping to make waves when he gets to the collegiate level.
“I’m a leader and play aggressive,” he said. “[I’m planning to continue high school] with a chip on my shoulder to keep grinding for more.”
The choice to court a prospect that Golesh had previously offered at his previous program is interesting, and it opens the door for Golesh to use his influence from USF to swing commitments to Auburn.
Golesh has already worked to land a few recruits that he had offered back at USF, not the least of which is Will Mencl, who received offers from both Golesh and former Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze last year. Now, Auburn is listed at a ‘warm’ interest level for the four-star quarterback as Golesh has continued in his pursuit of him.
It is, most definitely, a unique landscape in football right now, and Golesh is making the most of it. After all, the Plains is quite the pitch as is; now that a previous connection and proof of continued interest have been tacked on, Golesh has evidently become quite difficult to turn down.
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Auburn board to vote on multiple upgrades to Jordan-Hare Stadium
By Peter Rauterkus
al.com
Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium north endzone renovation project is now seeking final approval.
The project, which was initiated in September 2024, will add a multi-purpose event center to the north endzone of Jordan-Hare Stadium. A vote for the project’s final approval will take place at the Auburn Board of Trustees’ April 17 meeting.
It’s the second major project to that side of the stadium in recent years after Auburn added a second video board to the north endzone in 2025.
The new north endzone project will construct a seven-story, approximately 300,000 square-foot addition to the existing stadium, according to the board’s meeting materials documents.
The multi-purpose building is designed to for both gameday and campus use, according to the materials documents, and will include dining and concession venues, a multi-purpose hall and ballroom, and new premium suites.
“It’s important because we have a need. The Auburn Family has expressed a great deal of interest in more premium options,” Cohen told AL.com in a February 2025 interview. “Every premium option we have offered since I have been at Auburn has been an immediate success. And it’s not because of John Cohen, it’s because of a demand for premium seating.”
Inspiration for the project at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Cohen said, came from similar projects done at Mississippi State’s Davis Wade Stadium and Arkansas’ Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
The estimated cost of the project is $305 million and will be financed by bond and gift funds, according to the materials documents.
Along with seeking final approval for the multi-purpose building, the board will also vote on a proposal for a “re-envisioning” of the space outside Jordan-Hare Stadium.
That project will, “construct an elevated plaza above Heisman Drive between Jordan-Hare Stadium and Petrie Hall, including expanded hardscape and landscape on the plaza and operational support space for the North Endzone Multipurpose Events Center,” according to the materials documents.
The cost for that project is $18 million, according to the meetings materials documents, meaning $323 million in total renovations will be voted on next week.
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Auburn board of trustees to vote on $323 million upgrades to Jordan-Hare Stadium
By Nathan King
Auburn's board of trustees will vote next Friday on final approval for upgrades worth $323 million on the north side of Jordan-Hare Stadium, according to materials presented to the board this week by the university's committee for facilities.
Named the "Jordan-Hare Stadium North Endzone Multipurpose Events Center Addition," next week is the long-awaited next step to the stadium's renovations in the north end zone, which began last football season with a new videoboard. The initial proposal for a multipurpose upgrade to the stadium was initiated in the fall of 2024.
A master plan by athletic director John Cohen for the past few years, the new Jordan-Hare Stadium add-on is set to introduce "a seven-story, approximately 300,000 square-foot building addition to the stadium with new campus and gameday kitchens, flexible dining and concession venues, a multi-purpose hall and ballroom, intentionally flexible spaces for campus and gameday usage, and new club and premium suites," according to the materials presented to the board of trustees.
Since the board approved architects and construction managers for the project last year, Auburn's facilities committee has now returned with official renderings of the multipurpose center, which carries a budget of $305 million from "bond and gift funds."
Next week's vote will also include the proposal for a "re-envisioning" of the space outside Jordan-Hare Stadium. The "North Plaza" project carries a budget of $18 million, per the BOT materials. Two renderings were also provided for that project, which connects to the multipurpose center.
"Reenvisioning campus between Jordan-Hare Stadium and Haley Center offers an opportunity to reimagine this zone for the next generation of the Auburn family," per the materials. "This project, along with the future development of Haley Center will recenter student life around the Thach Concourse, bringing our stadium into the everyday, and offering an exceptional student experience in a development that is distinctly Auburn.
The North Plaza will include an "elevated connection" to the new multipurpose center from Petrie Hall, which is the closest on-campus building to the north side of Jordan-Hare Stadium.
The first round of upgrades in the north end zone, namely a new videoboard, were approved in February of 2024, costing approximately $26 million. The scoreboard on that end of the stadium had not been renovated since it was added in 1987.
In all, the stadium's north-side upgrades, including the videboard, will have a price tag of approximately $350 million.
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When will Kalen DeBoer, Alex Golesh appear at SEC Media Days 2026?
By Creg Stephenson
al.com
The head football coaches’ appearance schedule for SEC Media Days 2026 has been set and was released by the league office on Wednesday.
SEC Media Days 2026 is set for July 20-23 at the Tampa Marriott Water Street and JW Marriott in Tampa, Fla. It will be the first time the SEC’s annual kickoff event has taken place in the state of Florida.
Here’s the full coaches appearance schedule. Coaches are listed alphabetically by school by day, not necessarily in the order in which they will appear.
SEC Network will televise all of SEC Media Days again this year. Athletes from each school who will attend will be announced at a later date.
Monday, July 20
Will Stein, Kentucky
Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri
Brent Venables, Oklahoma
Josh Heupel, Tennessee
Tuesday, July 21
Alex Golesh, Auburn
Kirby Smart, Georgia
Shane Beamer, South Carolina
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
Wednesday, July 22
Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
Jon Sumrall, Florida
Pete Golding, Ole Miss
Mike Elko, Texas A&M
Thursday, July 23
Ryan Silverfield, Arkansas
Lane Kiffin, LSU
Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State
Steve Sarkisian, Texas
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NCAA looking to install ‘5 to play 5’ eligibility rule, report says
By Creg Stephenson
al.com
The NCAA Division I Cabinet is looking to discuss a number of changes to its eligibility rules when it meets next week, according to a report Wednesday by Yahoo Sports’ Ross Dellenger.
According to the report, the NCAA will propose a “five to play five” rule. That is, athletes would have five years to play five seasons from the time they enroll in college.
There would be no granting of redshirts or waivers in order to receive additional years, except in extraordinary circumstances. Examples that might fall under waiver consideration would be military service, religious missionary work or maternity leave.
There would also be age limits under the new proposal. The five-year eligibility “clock” would begin at an athlete’s 19th birthday or when they graduate from high school, whichever is earlier.
It’s not entirely clear when the new rules might take effect if adopted. However, it’s likely athletes already enrolled would be “grandfathered in” with no change to their eligibility status.
The proposal tracks with some of the language in President Donald Trump’s executive order issued Friday. However, any action resulting from the executive order would need approval from state and federal courts, which are almost certain to hear more eligibility cases.
Attempts to enforce rules regarding player compensation and “movement” (i.e., transferring) have largely been struck down in court. However, the NCAA has won a number of high-profile eligibility cases in recent months.
Former Tennessee quarterback Joey Aguilar and former Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris both had their attempts to gain an extra year of eligibility — a sixth for Aguilar, a seventh for Morris — denied by state courts. Former Alabama basketball player Charles Bediako — who entered the NBA draft in 2023 and played in the G League for three years before returning to action with the Crimson Tide in January — had his eligibility nullified after five games by a circuit court judge after a different judge had granted him a temporary restraining order against the NCAA.
Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, however, was granted a preliminary injunction by a Mississippi judge after the NCAA had first denied his request for a medical redshirt and a sixth year of eligibility. He is set to suit up for the Rebels this fall after the Mississippi Supreme Court declined to hear the NCAA’s appeal.
Oklahoma linebacker Owen Heinecke also recently filed suit for an additional year of eligibility. That case is set to go to court next week.
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