Auburn may be getting a useful boost up front for its Week 11 trip to Mississippi State, and it could trigger yet another shuffle along an offensive line that has spent the season in motion.
Tai Buster was not on Auburn’s initial availability report for the matchup, a notable development after the lineman missed the Tigers’ first nine games. He had been injured before the 2026 college football season began, and his return gives coach Alex Golesh another piece to work with as he keeps searching for a combination that can create a reliable running game.
That search has been ongoing all fall. Golesh has cycled through different looks in the trenches, but the offense still hasn’t found a front that consistently opens lanes outside of quarterback scrambles.
Buster’s versatility gives Auburn more options, since he can play tackle or guard on either side of the center. That makes it likely Golesh will test him in different spots over the final three games, and he could be eased back into action against the Bulldogs.
The bigger question is what Golesh does after that. He has to decide whether to lean on the most experienced group available for the Iron Bowl or keep adjusting after a season defined by line struggles. Some jobs have settled down - center Cole Best has held down his spot - while tackle Stanton Ramil has been the other steady presence, moving between both edges.
The constant tinkering has been frustrating, but it also says something about how Golesh has handled the situation. He has kept trying combinations, searching for the right fit while leaning on Best at center, which makes sense given the way Best and quarterback Byrum Brown worked together last season.
And if Auburn somehow gets to seven or eight wins with this line, that would say plenty about Golesh’s approach. He had very little time to piece the group together, yet he has kept finding the right mix at the right moment.
That was part of how Auburn beat Georgia this season. The line held up in Athens, even though it wasn’t the same unit that had played the week before.
There’s also reason to think the future in the trenches could look much better. Golesh has already been active on the recruiting trail, and Auburn’s 2027 class includes 4-star OT Layton Von Brandt, 4-star IOL Reed Ramsier, IOL Jaylon Moore, OT Rance Brown, and 4-star IOL Jatori Williams.
If Golesh and offensive line coach Tyler Hudanick can squeeze production out of a less talented group in 2026 while building chemistry on the fly, the ceiling should rise once that recruiting haul arrives and they get a full offseason to work. Based on the early returns, that upgrade may not be far away.
For now, Auburn’s offensive line is no longer being treated like an afterthought. That alone changes the conversation.
In Other News...
Auburn Just Lost The Safest QB Portal Path Available
Auburns quarterback search in the transfer portal just got a little more complicated with Mississippi States Kamario Taylor choosing to stay put rather than test the market. Taylor is still working back from a severe toe injury, but his new deal reportedly starts at $7.5 million and gives the Bulldogs a major piece to build around as they try to shape the rest of their roster and recruiting plans.
For Auburn, the timing matters because the Tigers are still sorting through their own options at the position and had reason to monitor the portals upper tier closely. With Taylor off the board, attention shifts even more toward other possible targets from places like Ohio State and Michigan, leaving Auburn to keep weighing fit, availability and cost in a market that is already getting thinner by the day. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Still Has Tough 2027 Recruiting Calls To Make
With the early signing period for the Class of 2027 drawing closer, Auburn is entering the part of recruiting where the easy work is mostly done and the hard decisions begin. Alex Golesh has made it clear the Tigers want to finish the class strong, and that means balancing the commitments already in place with the players the staff is still pushing hardest to land.
Auburns recent addition gave the class a boost, but the final stretch is still about roster evaluation and how the staff chooses to spend its time and resources. Some current pledges could be revisited while other targets get a more aggressive push, which leaves the Tigers with a few important calls still hanging in the balance before signing day arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Bowl Push Comes With Real Upset Risk In Starkville
Auburn heads to Starkville with a chance to keep its winning streak alive and move one step closer to bowl eligibility, but this is the kind of SEC trip that can get tricky fast. Alex Golesh has already pointed to the early kickoff as one of the hurdles, and Auburn will need to bring a sharp, high-level effort against a Mississippi State team that has dropped five straight but still has enough pieces to make this uncomfortable.
The matchup comes down to a few familiar pressure points for Auburn: slowing down AJ Swann, leaning on the run game and keeping Byrum Brown protected up front. Linebacker depth and time of possession also loom large, especially in a road setting where Auburn cannot afford to let the game drift into a grind. On paper, the Tigers have the better path, but this is exactly the sort of spot where a bowl push can turn into a stress test. [Read more 🡒]