Auburn didn’t just dip into the transfer portal this offseason - they dove in headfirst. And no position room got a bigger boost than running back. While the Tigers already had a solid foundation with Jeremiah Cobb returning, they added three experienced backs who bring not just talent, but something this offense badly needed: reps.
Let’s start with Cobb. The junior rushed for 969 yards at 5.5 yards per carry last season and enters 2026 as the clear leader of the group.
But behind him in 2025, the depth chart got thin on experience in a hurry. Freshmen Alvin Henderson and Omar Mabson II were promising, but raw.
That’s where the portal came into play - and Auburn didn’t hold back.
Head coach Alex Golesh, speaking Wednesday at Senior Bowl practice, laid it out plainly: “It was a matter of adding just college reps. You feel like the younger you are in that room, the scarier it is.”
So Auburn went out and grabbed three backs who’ve been through the grind of college football: Bryson Washington (Baylor), Nykahi Davenport (USF), and Tae Meadows (Troy). Each brings more carries under their belt than any of Auburn’s young reserves behind Cobb - and that experience could be the difference between a good run game and a dominant one.
Washington might be the crown jewel of the group. He rushed for 788 yards and six touchdowns last season at Baylor, and cracked the 1,000-yard mark the year before.
That kind of production doesn’t just walk into your locker room every day. But for Golesh, it’s not just about the stat sheet - it’s about the mindset.
“Bryson brings really two and a half years of starting game experience at the Power Four level,” Golesh said. “More than anything, the kind of kid he is - he was hungry to go play in an offense where you can run the ball.
Wanted to play in the SEC. Wanted to play against the best talent in the country.”
That’s a key point. Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon built their offense at USF around a heavy rotation of backs.
No one back had more than 98 carries in 2025, but three different runners topped 70. It’s a system designed to keep legs fresh and defenses guessing.
One of those USF backs? Nykahi Davenport - now also in Auburn’s backfield. Davenport posted 612 yards and seven touchdowns last season, and according to Golesh, he’s only scratching the surface.
“With as excited as we were about Nykahi, he’s still a baby,” Golesh said. “I mean, he was a redshirt freshman.
Missed his whole freshman year. Everything he did was kind of on raw talent, and he’s still gotta continue to develop.”
Then there’s Tae Meadows, who quietly had a breakout year at Troy in 2025, rushing for 695 yards and six touchdowns. It was his first real taste of being a featured back, and he made the most of it. Now, he joins a crowded but talented Auburn backfield where he won’t be asked to carry the full load - but he’ll absolutely be part of the equation.
And let’s not forget the quarterback. Byrum Brown, another USF import, rushed for over 1,000 yards (5.8 ypc) last season.
He’s not just a dual-threat - he’s a legitimate piece of the run game puzzle. Pairing Brown’s legs with a deep, versatile running back room gives Auburn the kind of ground attack that can wear teams down over four quarters.
This isn’t just about adding bodies. It’s about building a room that can produce week in and week out, no matter the opponent, no matter the situation. With Cobb leading the way and three proven backs behind him, Auburn suddenly has one of the deepest and most intriguing backfields in the SEC.
The Tigers didn’t just reload - they reimagined their run game. And if everything clicks, they might just have one of the most explosive rushing attacks in the conference next fall.