The Auburn Tigers underwent quite a few wholesale changes over the offseason, even by today's transfer-portal standards. Now led by head coach Alex Golesh, the Tigers will look for a strong start on Saturday against the Baylor Bears in Atlanta. Here’s a look at how Auburn shapes up at each offensive and defensive position entering its Week 1 contest.
QUARTERBACK
Quarterback is one of the clearest positions on Auburn’s roster this season, providing a level of certainty that was missing during much of the Hugh Freeze tenure. USF transfer Byrum Brown followed Golesh to The Plains, bringing elite production from the Group of Six level as one of 13 players in college football history to pass for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 yards.
Brown is a physical running quarterback with a strong arm who has thrived over the past three seasons in Golesh’s system. He should be in position to lead an Auburn offense looking to improve in 2026. Auburn’s backup will be Oregon State transfer Tristan Ti’a, a 6-foot-2, 217-pound redshirt sophomore who performed fairly well in this year’s A-Day game, completing 15 of 20 passes for 179 yards, a touchdown and an interception. Barring injury, Brown is expected to be Auburn’s starting quarterback.
RUNNING BACK
Auburn’s running back room will be led by senior Jeremiah Cobb, who rushed for nearly 1,000 yards last season in his first year as the Tigers’ featured back. Cobb is a shifty, dynamic runner who has shown the ability to turn broken plays into short gains and break off explosive runs when the blocking is there. However, behind Cobb was a surprise for those who haven't been following offseason camps.
Sophomore and Auburn-raised Omar Mabson II is currently listed as the second back on Auburn’s depth chart, ahead of both Baylor transfer Bryson Washington and USF transfer Nykhai Davenport. Washington came in highly regarded as a four-star transfer, but reportedly had issues maintaining the level of physical fitness Auburn’s staff wanted. Additionally, Washington has struggled with frequent injuries, making him less of a sure commodity.
Still, the room should be solid as a whole, with Mabson II, Davenport, and Washington all more than capable of either spelling Cobb or splitting carries, depending on the direction Auburn’s staff wants to take. After coach Golesh’s promise to “run the piss out of the ball,” all four backs could see significant playing time this season.
WIDE RECEIVER
Wide receiver generated more headlines than any position for the Tigers in the offseason, and much of the attention was not positive. Three of the former “Freeze Four” have all left The Plains, while the remaining Bryce Cain is reportedly getting looks at defensive back during camp amid struggles to emerge on offense.
With Cam Coleman at Texas, Malcolm Simmons at Texas Tech, Perry Thompson at Minnesota, and a late flip by freshman 4-Star Jase Matthews to Ole Miss, it was clear that Auburn would have to rely on the influx of talent from USF to supplement the receiving corps.
Keshaun Singleton was the headliner of the portal additions from South Florida, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound junior with a physical playstyle who racked up nearly 900 yards last season and earned a spot on the 2026 Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List.
However, the star of camp has been Chas Nimrod, a speedy receiver who first joined Golesh as a recruit to Tennessee, though Golesh had left for USF by the time Nimrod enrolled. Two seasons later, Nimrod joined Golesh in South Florida, where he finished fourth on the team in receiving. This year, Nimrod appears to have broken out during camp, emerging as a respected leader and the top target on Auburn’s depth chart entering Week 1.
Fellow USF transfers Jeremiah Koger and Christian Neptune will fill the third and fourth receiver roles, having amassed nearly 1,000 yards as a duo last season. The end of Auburn’s wideout rotation will feature freshmen Brian Williams and DeShawn Spencer, and sophomores Kory Pettigrew and Sam Turner.
TIGHT END
Tight end was an area of concern for Auburn last season, with Preston Howard struggling to emerge as a receiving threat and Brandon Frazier unable to establish himself as a consistent option. The group looks completely new this year, led by highly experienced player Jake Johnson, a fifth-year who is a solid blocker and has the athleticism to be a plus receiving threat on his day.
Behind Johnson is Arlis Boardingham, an athletic player who has shown flashes as a receiving threat at Florida despite never being a focal point of the offense. USF transfer Jonathan Echols and Howard transfer Xavier Newsome complete the group listed on the depth chart, meaning that sophomore Ryan Ghea presumably will not find himself in the early rotation despite playing in five games last season.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Some argue that the offensive line was the biggest pain point for the Tigers in 2025, but that entire starting group is no longer in the building. So, who is replacing them? Bookending the unit will be James Madison transfer Jo Simmons on the left and Michigan State transfer Stanton Ramil on the right—two experienced players with imposing size who should help establish the physical identity that coach Golesh has been pursuing while also keeping Brown upright in the pocket.
The interior from left to right will be Jacob Strand, Cole Best, and Cole Skinner. Strand spent the previous four seasons at Oregon State, where he saw most of his time as a tackle, including his six starts last season. The move inside should be a positive change for the 6-foot-5, 210-pound lineman this season, as he will join USF transfer duo Best and Skinner, who anchored the Bulls’ line over previous seasons and embody how Golesh wants his offensive lineman to look, act, and perform.
Notably, young center Kail Ellis is now listed as the second-string right guard after filling in for the injured Conner Lew during the back half of the 2025 season. Miami transfer Deryc Plazz, Akron transfer Kenneth McManus IV, and Jacobe’ Ward should also headline the second unit in case of injury.
DEFENSIVE LINE/EDGE
The defensive front was another unit that lost key contributors in the portal. Former highly-touted recruit Amaris Williams and promising young lineman Malik Blocton are both walking out the door to SEC rivals, Williams to Georgia and Blocton to LSU. However, Williams tore his ACL in April and will not play a down for any team this season.
Despite the losses, the Tigers reloaded, and they may have found a gem in Arkansas State transfer Cody Sigler. Sigler has been highly impressive throughout camp from his defensive tackle spot, where he was a major run disruptor for the Red Wolves in 2025. The massive Dallas Walker IV and LSU transfer Walter Mathis Jr. will join Sigler, and both players should be tremendous space-eaters during their reps.
The defensive end spot for the Tigers will be Chris Murray to begin the season, with sophomore Derrion Smith just behind. Murray played in nine games for Auburn last season and recorded 3.5 sacks. Smith is a highly talented player with good athleticism from his end position, and behind him is Missouri transfer and former Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Nate Johnson as the third defensive end.
Auburn’s true edge position, or BUCK, as it is listed on the depth chart, will be filled by Ole Miss transfer Da’Shawn Womack, a 4-Star transfer who had two sacks last season for the Rebels. Womack is an extremely large pass rusher at 6-foot-5 and 265 pounds, and presents a tremendous power threat to opposing tackles. Behind Womack is the incredibly dynamic Jared Smith, a 6-foot-6, 260-pound edge rusher who saw action in 11 games last season and has shown an explosive first step off the edge.
LINEBACKER
Linebacker should be Auburn’s best overall position group in 2026, with honorable mentions to safety and quarterback. The unit is led by First-Team All-SEC and Second-Team All-American Xavier Atkins, a versatile player with exceptional athleticism who recorded 60 solo tackles, 9 sacks, and an interception as a true sophomore in 2025. Atkins will be the general of the defense in 2026 and is expected to be one of the top linebackers in the nation once again.
Auburn's second starting linebacker will be the hyper-athletic Elijah Melendez, a former three-star who has proven himself to be a dynamic player in the heart of the Tigers’ defense. Bryce Deas, another extremely athletic player, is listed as the third starter at linebacker for Auburn.
The talent at the top of the depth chart has left Demarcus Riddick outside Auburn’s starting lineup. Riddick is another extremely talented player who has been exceptional when on the field, though he has struggled with persistent injury troubles. However, Riddick might still see significant time in 2026 in a rotation with Melendez and Deas depending on the situation and package that the opposing offense lines up in.
DEFENSIVE BACK
Boundary corner is another position that is straightforward for Auburn, with UCLA transfer Andre Jordan Jr. getting the start. Jordan’s ability was on display against USC last season, when he matched up with the receiver trio of Makai Lemon, Ja’Kobi Lane, and Tanook Hines. He is a physical corner who has the size and athleticism to handle the outside.
Joining Jordan will be Rayshawn Pleasant, former Tulane transfer and return man extraordinaire. However, Pleasant can also hang in coverage when needed. The third and fourth corners will be senior leader Champ Anthony, who is looking to avoid more injury troubles in 2026, and USF transfer Gavin Jenkins. Both Anthony and Jenkins should not have to play boundary or field, and can come in for either nickel or dime packages as needed.
Safety is another solid position for the Tigers, especially on the strong side. Both Eric Winters and Kaleb Harris have put up some excellent film in their time on The Plains, with Winters eventually taking the starting role from Harris last season. Anthony is expected to start at free safety for the Tigers, reinforcing his versatility for this secondary. Should Anthony be called into a different position, sophomore Anquon Fegans is next up on the depth chart behind him, another player with an extremely high ceiling.
The defensive back room is rounded off by the STAR position, which functions as a box defensive back for the Tigers—similar to a designated nickel corner but with more focus on playing directly in the box. Hard-hitting Sylvester Smith-Reed (formerly Sylvester Smith in 2025) will take the starting role for Auburn, bringing arguably the most explosive trigger on the Tigers’ defense outside of Xavier Atkins. The two and three in the STAR role will be Anthony and Anquon Fegans, both more than capable of playing in the box and delivering punishing blows.
