The first AP preseason top 25 is out, and Auburn’s 2026 schedule is loaded with ranked opposition. The Tigers will line up against six teams that made the initial poll, a slate that immediately gives the season some serious weight.
Georgia sits at No. 3 and will host Auburn on October 17 in another chapter of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. Auburn has not won in Athens since 2005, and Golesh will try to snap that streak in his first meeting there.
The run through ranked opponents starts earlier than that, though, with Tennessee. The Volunteers checked in at No. 20 and will host Auburn on October 3, marking the first time the Tigers have played in Knoxville since 2013.
Auburn then gets a stretch of heavyweight SEC matchups in the middle of the schedule. LSU, ranked No. 11, comes to Jordan-Hare Stadium on October 24 for the first tiger-on-tiger clash in two seasons.
The kickoff is already set for 11 a.m. After that, Auburn heads to Oxford to face No.
9 Ole Miss on October 31. The Rebels are entering their first season under Pete Golding, and Trinidad Chambliss is back at quarterback.
The final regular-season test is the Iron Bowl, and Alabama is also in the top 15 at No. 13.
Kalen DeBoer’s team will host Auburn in Tuscaloosa on November 28. Auburn has not won the Iron Bowl there since 2010, and the Tigers have not beaten Alabama since 2019.
Elsewhere in the SEC, teams Auburn won’t see this year also landed in the poll: Texas at No. 5, Texas A&M at No.
8, Oklahoma at No. 10 and Missouri at No. 25.
Auburn itself did not crack the top 25, but it did receive three votes.
In Other News...
Auburn Practice Just Raised A New Depth Chart Concern
Auburns Week 3 preseason practice on Aug. 18 at the Woltosz Football Performance Center offered a small but notable glimpse at how the roster is being shaped as camp moves along. With several players out or limited because of injury or protocol, the Tigers had to shuffle things around, and those absences gave the staff a better look at some of the pieces fighting for roles as the season approaches.
Among the more interesting developments was former Troy wide receiver Tray Taylor taking part in practice on a partial basis, while Bryce Cain spent time rotating through work with the secondary instead of lining up with his usual group. For a team already managing a handful of sidelined players, those kinds of adjustments can matter quickly, especially when Auburn is still trying to settle answers across the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Just Added A Receiver Alex Golesh Clearly Wanted In Camp
Auburn continued to reshape its receiver room by bringing in Tray Taylor, a compact slot target with stops at Troy, Coastal Carolina and Tyler Junior College. Alex Golesh had been looking to add more depth inside after the Tigers lost Duke Smith, and Taylor gives the staff another option at a spot that can get thin quickly in camp. His experience and versatility also make him a candidate to help on special teams, which only adds to his value as Auburn keeps sorting out the back end of the depth chart.
Taylors arrival fits the kind of quiet roster move that can matter later in the season, especially for a player whose path has already included multiple stops and a recent eligibility boost for 2026 tied to a class action lawsuit ruling. Auburn does not need every addition to be a headline-grabber, but Golesh clearly wanted another receiver who could handle work in the slot and provide some stability while the staff continues to adjust to the departures it has absorbed. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn May Have Found A New Way To Use Former Freeze Receiver
Auburns fall camp offered a small but notable personnel wrinkle when Bryce Cain was spotted working with the cornerbacks, a sign the Tigers may be exploring a new role for the redshirt sophomore. Cain arrived as a wide receiver recruit in the 2024 class, but his offensive opportunities have been limited through his first two seasons, leaving plenty of room for the staff to look at different ways to get value from his athleticism.
The move is not locked in, and Auburns preseason prep will tell the story of whether this is a short-term experiment or a real position shift as the Tigers build toward the 2026 season. Still, any time a former receiver gets time with the defensive backs, it hints at a staff trying to find the best fit for a player who has yet to carve out a steady role. [Read more 🡒]