Auburn’s 2026 outlook is still a puzzle, but Alex Golesh has given the Tigers a different kind of buzz on the Plains.
That optimism comes with a catch. Auburn just missed a bowl game last season and moved on from Hugh Freeze, so nobody is pretending the expectations are sky-high. Still, the arrival of Golesh has changed the conversation, and CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford sees enough in this roster to forecast a 7-5 finish, including a 4-5 mark in SEC play.
Crawford pointed to the transfer work as the biggest reason for optimism, saying, "An aggressive portal haul addressed several weaknesses, added proven playmakers -- many from USF -- and gave this staff enough depth to challenge ranked opponents deep into the fourth quarter,"
A big part of the attention around Auburn has centered on the group Golesh brought with him from South Florida. Byrum Brown, Cole Best, Chas Nimrod and others are expected to give the Tigers some built-in familiarity as the new staff tries to cut down on the usual transition issues that come with a coaching change.
Brown arrives with plenty of attention after a 3,000-yard passing and 1,000-yard rushing season, a feat only 13 quarterbacks have ever pulled off in college football. Now at Auburn, he is stepping into a chance to reset the program’s direction, and he is not leaning into any idea that this season is just about finding an identity.
Crawford also laid out the ceiling and the floor for the Tigers this way: "Golesh's offensive creativity should make Auburn a tough out, particularly if Byrum Brown stabilizes the quarterback position and the revamped offensive line holds up," continued Crawford. "The Tigers have dark-horse potential if everything clicks, but a more realistic identity may be that of a weekly nuisance nobody wants to face."
If Auburn is going to turn that dark-horse label into something real, October looks like the hinge point. The Tigers could open the year with a solid September, but the middle stretch will tell the story. Wins at home against LSU or on the road against Ole Miss in Oxford would change the temperature fast and give Golesh an early statement that his approach can work in the SEC.
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Former Auburn Coordinators Are Suddenly In The Middle Of FSU Rumors
Two former Auburn offensive coordinators have suddenly landed in the middle of Florida States coaching speculation, with Rhett Lashlee and Kenny Dillingham both emerging as names to watch if the Seminoles move on from Mike Norvell. It is the kind of twist that always seems to surface when a high-profile job gets shaky, and for Auburn fans it is a reminder of how quickly the coaching tree keeps spreading.
Lashlee, now at SMU, is viewed as a tough pull because of the support and financial backing his current program has given him, while Dillingham has also shown commitment to Arizona State even as his name stays in circulation. Florida State is expected to reach out to both coaches to gauge interest if the opening materializes, leaving the next step in the process very much unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
Bryce Cain Faces A Real Test As Auburns Receiver Battle Heats Up
Auburns receiver room has been in constant motion since the offseason coaching changes, and fall camp is starting to separate the names from the roles. Bryce Cain, Sam Turner and Erick Smith are among the holdovers trying to carve out places in a group that has been asked to adjust quickly to a new offensive system, while coaches and players have spent camp talking through the usual August themes of progress, competition and consistency.
For Cain in particular, the next stretch matters because the Tigers still have practices and scrimmages ahead, and every rep is part of a bigger evaluation. The room is crowded, the standards are rising and Auburn wants its receivers to show growth fast enough to matter when the live work gets sharper. [Read more 🡒]
Alex Golesh Is Pushing Auburn Camp To Feel More Like Saturdays
Auburns preseason work has taken on a different feel under Alex Golesh, who has brought live officials into practice to make camp operate more like game day. The idea is simple enough: put referees on the field for 11-on-11 and 7-on-7 periods so players and coaches are dealing with real calls, real tempo and the kind of interruptions that can shape a Saturday afternoon.
It is the sort of camp tweak that can sharpen everyone involved. Players have to stay aware of penalties in real time, coaches get a clearer read on the discipline of their units, and the staff gets another layer of quality control before the games start counting. The bigger question is whether that added edge in practice will translate when Auburn finally has to handle those same moments under the lights. [Read more 🡒]