Auburn is already getting some preseason recognition before Alex Golesh even coaches his first game on the Plains.
With SEC Media Days still less than two weeks away, Athlon Sports rolled out its preseason All-SEC teams this week, and four Auburn players landed on the list as the Tigers head toward the 2026 season.
The biggest name on the Auburn side is linebacker Xavier Atkins, whose first year as a real college contributor turned into a breakout. Atkins piled up 84 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and nine sacks last season.
Thirteen of those tackles for loss came in SEC games, the most in the league. His tackle total and sack total also ranked third in the SEC in 2025.
Cornerback Rayshawn Pleasant earned first-team honors from Athlon after a 2025 season in which he started only two games but still made his presence felt all over the field. He finished with 16 tackles, three pass deflections and two interceptions, including one he took back for a touchdown. Pleasant also delivered in the return game, bringing back a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown in Auburn’s season-opening win over Baylor.
Running back Jeremiah Cobb is another Auburn player to watch heading into the fall. He came up 31 yards short of 1,000 last season, but still posted five 100-yard games, with three of them coming in SEC play.
Cobb is set to be the day one starter in the backfield this year and will lead a deep Tigers running back group. Athlon placed him on its fourth team.
The fourth Auburn player recognized by Athlon was a transfer with a different path to the SEC. The Auburn transfer began his college career at Division II West Alabama, spent three seasons there, then moved on to Arkansas State for the 2025 season. He was named second team All-Sun Belt after finishing with 35 tackles, seven tackles for loss and five sacks for the Red Wolves.
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Alex Golesh Just Made An Early Recruiting Statement At Auburn
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What makes the start even more encouraging for Auburn is the company it has kept in this class, with names like Isaac McNeil, Chance Gilbert and Deshawn Hall helping fuel the momentum. The bigger question now is whether Golesh can turn this early surge into something lasting, because the next step in Auburns recruiting rise will depend heavily on what happens once the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Fans Are Hearing Serious Buzz About Freshman LB Jaquez Wilkes
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Auburns linebacker room is deep enough that Wilkes does not need to be rushed, but the buzz around him is that he may be ready to help sooner than most freshmen. Special teams would be the obvious starting point, with a path to defensive snaps not far behind if he keeps developing the way people around the program expect, and that is the part Auburn fans will be watching as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]