Xavier Newsom’s path to Auburn has been anything but conventional, and that unusual route is part of what makes him an intriguing piece for the Tigers moving forward.
A former edge-rushing prospect out of Martin Luther King High School in Detroit, Newsom drew Division I interest as a defender. He even received Power Four attention before starting his college career at Howard, where the transition came with a position switch. As a freshman, he was a reserve tight end and didn’t see much action, but it was enough to keep him on Larry Scott’s radar.
That connection proved important when Scott later joined Auburn as the Tigers’ tight ends coach.
“It kind of worked good because I already had a relationship with him at Howard,” Newsom said of his relationship with Scott now. “So, it’s really just building a bond on and off.”
Scott has been consistently encouraged by Newsom’s upside since arriving at Auburn. He isn’t projected as the top tight end on the roster this season, but the tools are there for him to grow into a reliable player.
At 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds, Newsom brings the kind of frame that jumps out immediately. It also earned him a nickname: “Tree.”
“He’s still figuring it all out,” Scott said of Newsom in February. “But when he does, we believe you’re going to have something truly, truly special if he can keep moving the way that he is and growing and developing the way that he is.”
Newsom believes his background on defense still shows up in the way he plays offense now. Competing in the SEC, he said, that experience has helped him with his movements and overall game.
“It helps me with my twist, my movements,” Newsom said. “I feel like it helped me with everything.”
For Auburn, his biggest immediate value may come in the run game and in the blocking department. Jake Johnson and Arlis Boardingham enter game week as the Tigers’ top two pass-catching tight ends, while Newsom’s size gives him a clear role as a physical presence. He does have the speed and athleticism to help as a receiver, but he still appears to be in the early stages of becoming a bigger factor in the passing attack.
One area where he has clearly grown is in his weekly preparation.
“I really wasn’t a preparation type of guy,” Newsom said. “But now, it’s preparation, technique, what is my process like in the morning and throughout the day.”
Now entering his second season of college football and his first at the Power Four level, Newsom says he’s happy with the switch to offense, even if the lessons from his defensive past continue to shape his game.
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For Auburn followers, the bigger takeaway is simple: Nix appears positioned to begin his NFL path with a real shot at meaningful snaps, not buried in a crowded depth chart. Denver spent the offseason dealing with plenty of quarterback chatter, including outside speculation tied to Aaron Rodgers, but the current expectation is that Nix and Stidham will headline the room. However the final roster shakes out, Auburns interest in this spot isnt going away anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]
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Auburns 2026 Hype Just Got Real In One Key ESPN List
Auburns 2026 outlook got an early jolt of credibility when ESPN released its list of the top 100 college football players and included two Tigers near the top end of the rankings. Linebacker Xavier Atkins landed at No. 28 after a strong first season as a starter following his transfer from LSU, while quarterback Byrum Brown checked in at No. 88 for the impact he can bring as a dual-threat playmaker in an up-tempo offense.
For a program trying to establish itself under first-year coach Alex Golesh, getting that kind of national recognition this early matters. Atkins is already viewed as a centerpiece on defense, and Browns presence gives Auburn another proven piece to build around, even if the bigger question is how quickly the new staff can turn those individual strengths into a complete team identity. [Read more 🡒]