Auburn enters the season with the kind of baggage that makes every projection feel like a referendum. The Tigers haven’t finished with a winning record since 2019, and they haven’t won a bowl game since 2018. That backdrop is why a recent bowl forecast from Sporting News’ Bill Bender stood out: he left Auburn out entirely.
That omission matters because the Tigers are still widely expected to get over the six-win line and reach bowl eligibility. Bender’s prediction suggests he’s not buying into the optimism around first-year head coach Alex Golesh just yet.
The bigger issue for Auburn has been a familiar one. The defense has usually done enough to keep games close, but the offense has too often failed to cash in when the moment gets big.
Last season, Auburn posted one of the country’s best defenses by counting stats and paired it with one of the more highly rated offenses in recent recruiting memory. Even so, the Tigers have gone just 1-11 in their last 12 one-score games.
Golesh comes to Auburn after a run at USF that featured the opposite problem. The Bulls had a high-end offense built around Byrum Brown and receivers Keshaun Singleton, Chas Nimrod and Jeremiah Koger, but the defense was thin enough to cost them in games like their 2025 matchup with Navy.
That contrast is part of the reason Auburn’s outlook in 2026 is being framed as encouraging. The Tigers’ offense will largely resemble that USF group, while the defense is expected to look much like last year’s Auburn unit. In theory, that gives Golesh something he hasn’t had in one place before: both sides of the ball working from a strong base.
If Auburn still can’t get to a bowl game this year, the pressure on Golesh could spike quickly. He has said this season is meant to lay the groundwork for his tenure, and if that foundation doesn’t hold, the situation on the Plains could turn fast.
In Other News...
Auburns New Backfield Has One Early Concern Fans Cant Ignore
Alex Golesh has made it clear from the start that Auburns offense is going to lean on tempo and the run game, and the early shape of that backfield is already drawing attention. The Tigers added Nykahi Davenport, Tae Meadows and Baylor transfer Bryson Washington to give the unit more depth around the returning pieces, a move that fits the way Golesh wants to play and gives Auburn more options behind center.
Washington is the name that stands out most because of what he has done before arriving on The Plains, but his transition has not been seamless. Golesh said the transfer has been making progress, yet there is still a question about how quickly he can fully handle the physical demands of this offense, a concern that matters in a system built to keep the pressure on defenses and keep the ground game moving. [Read more 🡒]
Johni Broomes NBA Shot Suddenly Looks Shakier As Auburn Heads Overseas
Johni Broomes path to an NBA roster spot has gotten a lot less certain as Philadelphia continues sorting through its frontcourt depth, and that matters in Auburn circles because Broome was one of the Tigers biggest names heading into pro ball. The 76ers have added more competition behind Joel Embiid, putting Broome in a crowded fight for a backup role at the exact moment the team is trying to make room for its newer pieces.
Meanwhile, Auburn is heading overseas for its preseason tune-up, with exhibition games set in Mykonos, Greece, against Serbian pro team KK Mega Basket. It is another reminder of how the program keeps using international trips to build chemistry and get an early look at the roster, even as one of its former stars waits to see whether his next stop will come in Philadelphia or somewhere else. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Faces A Recruiting Showdown For An In-State Quarterback Target
Auburns quarterback board already has a familiar in-state name on it, and Sam Sollie has now put a date on his next step. The Gadsden City High School passer, a Class of 2028 prospect, said he will make a verbal commitment on Aug. 8 after spending the offseason visiting Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Mississippi State and Tennessee.
For Auburn, the interest is easy to understand. Rivals views Sollie as a three-star quarterback and expects him to end up in the SEC, which makes every visit and every impression matter a little more in a race that has already drawn several major programs. The Tigers have also been especially active in his recruitment, hosting him more than any of the other finalists, and now the countdown is on as one of Alabamas better young quarterbacks gets ready to narrow the picture. [Read more 🡒]