Auburn’s fall camp is running with a different kind of edge under first-year coach Alex Golesh.
This week, Golesh and the entire Tigers roster checked into the Marriott Grand National for a 13-day stay, a setup designed to keep distractions out and focus squarely on football. The move also includes the coaching staff, and Golesh said the plan is to use the time to bring the team together.
"This is the one time where there's absolutely zero distractions," Golesh said in a press conference earlier this week, per Auburn 247. "We're going to go 13 days until school starts.
The way the calendar falls this year, school will actually be in session the last few days of camp. That hasn't happened in quite a while, but we'll work through that as we get there."
Golesh said the team’s routine has been stripped down and structured tightly. Players turned over their car keys, older and younger teammates were paired together as roommates, and the group now travels by bus to the practice facility each morning before spending the day in workouts and meetings. After that, it’s back to the hotel for evening meetings and lights out.
The push for a sharper, more controlled camp doesn’t stop at the hotel. Golesh has also changed how Auburn practices, bringing in officials for every session - from 7-on-7 work all the way through full scrimmages. It’s a wrinkle he used before at USF, and he said the idea is simple.
"We just try to make the time that we have on the field as close to game-like as you possibly can for, really, everybody," Golesh said.
The approach marks a clear shift in camp intensity. Last year, former coach Hugh Freeze said he asked the defense not to go full-force against quarterback Jackson Arnold. This time, Golesh is leaning the other way, putting the first-team offense against the first-team defense and making the whole operation feel as close to game day as possible ahead of his first season on the Plains.
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Auburns Running Back Battle Behind Jeremiah Cobb Is Getting Real
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The drills showed why this one may take a while to settle. Different backs flashed different traits, with some handling contact well and others showing areas they still need to clean up, which is exactly what makes August so important. For Auburn, the challenge now is turning those daily flashes into something more clearly defined before the season starts to force the issue. [Read more 🡒]
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Auburns quarterback picture is now tied to one of those portal decisions, and that adds real weight to the coming season. The Tigers have watched the broader SEC load up on incoming talent at quarterback, running back, receiver and on defense, but the most important question on the Plains is whether the answer under center comes from outside the program. If the portal piece clicks, Auburn can start talking about upside. If it does not, the rest of the roster has to do a lot more heavy lifting. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Camp Already Has A Roster Battle Fans Will Notice
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The bigger takeaway for Auburn watchers, though, was how much attention the coaches were paying to certain spots on the field, where the first signs of a competition were already easy to spot. Position coaches were hands-on during the session, and the way reps were divided suggested there are jobs on the line even this early in camp. For a team still sorting itself out, those practice-day details can matter as much as anything on the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]