Auburn has been busy trying to build momentum, and Alex Golesh’s latest lock-in camp announcement only adds more heat to the fire. But ESPN’s Bill Connelly just handed the Tigers another reason to keep pushing: his new look at the 40 most important players in college football for 2026.
The list included plenty of familiar names to Auburn fans, including former Tiger wide receiver Cam Coleman, who transferred from Auburn to Texas this year to try and win with Arch Manning, as well as new UNLV quarterback Jackson Arnold, a name Tiger fans won’t forget anytime soon. It was a strong and wide-ranging piece, but it also left out one Auburn player who seems like an obvious fit.
Byrum Brown didn’t land even in the “QBs with a game-changing leap in them” category, and that omission stands out. There’s a case to be made for leaving him behind Marcel Reed and Arch Manning based on competition, but Brown’s résumé still stacks up better than some of the names that made the cut. His win over Florida at the Swamp alone feels like enough to put him ahead of John Mateer, even if there’s room to argue for Bear Bachmeier and Bryce Underwood too.
The Brown case is hard to ignore because the production is right there. He piled up 1,008 yards, which was almost as many as Miami U running back Mark Fletcher Jr. with 1,192, and he scored more touchdowns than one of the nation’s top rushing stars. That’s the kind of dual-threat output that should make him impossible to overlook.
Underwood, meanwhile, is getting recognition that some people think is tied more to the Michigan name than what he has shown on the field. The source pointed out that he had a terrible 2025 season and hasn’t looked good this offseason heading into 2026.
Bachmeier drew even sharper criticism. The argument there is that BYU tends to attract media attention, only to run into real resistance against better teams.
The source also noted that the Cougars could play Auburn 100 times and might win once “out of the grace of the football gods.” And if a quarterback with 3,000-plus passing yards and 1,000-plus rushing yards is not more valuable than someone who looked like an emergency option, the logic goes, then the definition of a good quarterback needs rethinking.
There’s also skepticism about what BYU is bringing into 2026. The Cougars were successful in 2025, but that success leaned heavily on three strong receivers who are not there this year. The question is why a sophomore would be expected to elevate a team more in 2026 than he did when the supporting cast was stronger a year ago.
For Brown, the expectation is bigger than just being noticed. After this season, he should be near the top of every NFL quarterback draft board.
If he adds hardware along the way, that only strengthens what could be a true lightning-in-a-bottle season. Golesh has already called Brown one of the nation’s best quarterbacks, and the stage is there for him to prove it by beating Baylor decisively instead of scraping by.
On a national stage, Auburn has a chance to show that the change is real.
In Other News...
Auburn Fans Are Getting An Early Look At Alex Goleshs Culture
Auburns fall camp has taken on a different feel under Alex Golesh, with the Tigers spending 13 days at the Marriott Grand National as the new staff pushes for more bonding, sharper focus and fewer outside distractions. The setup is designed to keep the roster together, and the daily routine has been built around football, with officials on hand at practice to create a more game-like setting.
Golesh has made clear this is about raising the temperature of camp without letting anything drift off track. Players are being housed together in carefully chosen roommate pairings, and the whole arrangement is meant to sharpen habits before the season begins, while also giving an early glimpse of the culture he wants to build in Auburn. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Offense Already Feels Different Under Alex Golesh
Byrum Brown has already seen enough to know Auburns offense is operating with a different feel under new coordinator Alex Golesh. After the Tigers installed most of the playbook during spring practice, fall camp has been less about learning the basics and more about polishing the little things, with the emphasis shifting to situational football and getting the details right.
Brown and several other players who already know Goleshs system are helping push that process along as Auburn works to build tempo and comfort before the 2026 season. The early returns suggest the offense is settling in faster than a typical reboot, even if the real test still waits once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Freshman WR Is Already Forcing People To Notice
DeShawn Spencer arrived in Auburn with a little more intrigue than star power, and that has only made his early buzz more interesting. The former Duke commit flipped to the Tigers and now has people inside the program talking about a freshman wide receiver who has already stood out in practices and offseason work, even if he did not come in with the kind of national ranking that usually turns heads right away. Coaches and teammates have pointed to his football intelligence, work ethic and maturity as reasons he has earned attention this early under head coach Alex Golesh.
For Auburn, the bigger picture is what Spencer might mean in the 2026 season if that early promise keeps building. Immediate playing time is still uncertain, but the tone around him has been unusually strong for a player just starting out, which is why he is becoming one of those names fans tend to remember once camp conversations start heating up. In a receiver room that is always being sorted by opportunity and trust, Spencer has already done the first part of the job: making people notice. [Read more 🡒]