Auburn football is walking into the 2026 season with a label that’s tough to shrug off, even for a fan base used to rolling with the punches.
On Tuesday, On3’s Brett McMurphy put out his preseason AP Top 25 Poll lists of the most overrated and underrated teams, and Auburn landed at No. 1 on the overrated side.
That might sound strange at first glance, especially since the Tigers haven’t exactly been living up to lofty expectations lately. But McMurphy’s definition of overrated is simple: teams that “start the season ranked but fail to meet expectations.” And by that standard, Auburn’s history is hard to ignore.
The Tigers haven’t appeared in the AP preseason poll since 2020. Even so, the last three times they entered the season in the preseason top 11 - in 2015, 2018 and 2020 - they finished unranked.
This year’s preseason AP Top 25 dropped earlier in the week, and Auburn still managed to pick up three votes despite not having a winning season in five years.
For Auburn fans, that only adds to the strange cycle that’s defined the last half-decade. Every year has brought a fresh reason to believe the turnaround is coming, and every year has ended with the Tigers falling short of those hopes.
At the same time, the broader picture says something else: no one seems to be overhyping Auburn heading into 2026.
The Tigers were slotted No. 12 in the SEC by media members at SEC Media Days. In On3’s SEC preseason power rankings, Auburn checked in at No.
- CBS Sports’ recent SEC coaches rankings placed new head coach Alex Golesh at No. 12, ahead of only Pete Golding, Ryan Silverfield, Jeff Lebby and Will Stein.
So while Auburn wears the “most overrated” tag in McMurphy’s preseason breakdown, the reality around the program feels much more subdued. Expectations are low, especially with Golesh beginning his first season on the Plains, and fans are mostly looking for any sign that last year’s offense can take a step forward.
If the bar is set this low, Auburn will have plenty of room to move the conversation in a better direction. Maybe this is the year the Tigers start working their way out of the overrated conversation altogether.
In Other News...
Auburns Pass Rush Just Took A Hit At BUCK
Auburns pass rush depth at BUCK just took a significant blow before the season even gets rolling. Jakaleb Faulk, the linebacker-hybrid EDGE who was expected to be part of the Tigers pressure package, will miss the entire 2026 regular season after a collarbone injury required a procedure, coach Alex Golesh said.
DaShawn Womack is now in line to start at BUCK in Faulks place, and Auburn is expected to spread the snaps around among several other players as it reshapes that edge group. There is still some hope Faulk could work his way back late in the year, but for now the Tigers have to plan as if one of their more important front-seven pieces is unavailable when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Newton Has Auburn Fans Debating His Place In The Program
Cam Newton showing up in Missouri gear at the Tigers fall camp was enough to spark a fresh round of conversation among Auburn fans, especially because his visit was tied to receiver Cayden Lee, one of the players he mentors. Newtons ties to Missouris coaching staff come from his Auburn days, but his connection to this stop is more about support and relationships than any real playing history with the program.
Even so, the sight of the former Auburn star wearing another schools colors got people talking about what his place should be around Auburn going forward. For all the debate it stirred, the bigger takeaway may be simpler: Newton still carries real weight in college football circles, and Auburn could benefit from finding a more formal way to use that presence around its athletics program. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Defense Is Already Facing Heat After Camp Scrimmage
Auburns defense has spent much of preseason camp under the microscope, with the staff using recent scrimmage work to stress the basics before the real tests arrive. Head coach Alex Golesh, along with coordinator DJ Durkin and position coach Coleman Hutzler, has made tackling and overall technique a point of emphasis, a sign that the Tigers are still trying to sharpen the group as camp winds on.
The tone around the unit has been firm, and the players have taken notice of the demanding coaching that comes with it. Auburn knows the early camp work is about more than just sorting out depth - it is also about building habits that hold up once the season starts, and the defenses uneven showing has only raised the urgency around getting those details right. [Read more 🡒]