Auburn is entering another crucial stretch, and this time the conversation is less about flash than it is about finally finding some peace. The Tigers haven’t reached a national championship game since the 2013 season, the last year before the College Football Playoff era began, and the program has spent years trying to steady itself.
That’s why Paul Finebaum’s take on new head coach Alex Golesh stood out this week. On a McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning podcast appearance, Finebaum pointed to Golesh’s early moves in fall camp - especially his decision to take the entire team off campus and into a resort setting - as a sign that Auburn may be heading in a different direction.
“I do like what he’s doing … There’s a method to that madness…We do feel like we know what’s going on at Auburn,” Finebaum said. “It’s a significant step up from what we’ve seen in a long time. So, I really, really like the whole concept of it, and I like almost everything I’ve heard from Alex Golesh so far.”
That kind of endorsement matters because Auburn has not had much of one thing lately: continuity. The Tigers have gone through four head coaches in the last six years, and Hugh Freeze was the latest to leave the job. Each change has made it harder to build a consistent identity, and the effects have gone far beyond the sideline.
When coaches keep turning over, everything else gets harder. Recruiting can stall, player development can get disrupted, and the message inside the building changes before it has a chance to stick. Auburn has been living with that cycle, and the result has been a program still looking for a clear, durable direction.
Golesh arrives with a chance to reset that. As a former South Florida head coach, he’s not walking into a situation where he has to follow someone else’s blueprint. He gets to set the tone from day one, and his unusual approach to fall camp is one of the first signs of the culture he wants to build.
But the resort move alone won’t solve Auburn’s problems. Golesh still has to develop the roster, recruit at a high level, and create something that can last beyond one season. That’s the real test, and it’s a much bigger one than any camp setup.
For Auburn, the stakes are plain. A program with this kind of profile and resources can’t afford another coaching stint that fades fast. Golesh now has the chance to be the one who changes that pattern.
In Other News...
Bruce Pearl Steps Into A Debate Auburn Fans Will Want To Hear
Bruce Pearl has never been shy about stepping into a sports conversation, and his latest public comments landed in the middle of one that stretches well beyond basketball. After Enes Kanter Freedom, the former NBA player and political activist, announced plans to enter the 2027 WNBA draft, Pearl urged womens basketball stakeholders to protect the integrity of their sport. The exchange quickly drew wider attention because it touched on questions of fairness, identity, and where the line gets drawn in womens competition.
The WNBA responded with a statement of its own, saying there were no immediate eligibility issues and rejecting attempts to use the moment to marginalize others. For Auburn fans who remember Pearls willingness to speak his mind on just about any subject, the bigger story now is where he takes it next and whether this debate stays in the realm of public comments or turns into something more direct. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Running Backs Face A Camp Battle That Could Reshape Roles
Auburns running back room is heading into camp with a clear tone from Larry Porter: every player needs to think and prepare like a starter. The Tigers running backs coach said he wants the entire 2026 group coached equally, with the expectation that each player stays ready to help whenever his number is called.
Porter also made it clear that the workload figures to be divided unevenly on offense, even if the room remains deep enough to matter in other ways. Omar Mabson, Bryson Washington and Tay Meadows were singled out as players with distinct traits, and that variety could give Auburn flexibility not just in the backfield but on special teams, where several backs may find their first real impact. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Biggest Preseason Battle Is Brewing Behind Jeremiah Cobb
Auburn is heading into 2026 with a clear offensive identity taking shape under Alex Golesh, and it starts with the run game. Jeremiah Cobb is expected to carry the load as the featured back, which leaves the more interesting question further down the depth chart. Behind him, the Tigers have a cluster of young backs and returners all fighting for position, with Bryson Washington, Omar Mabson, Tae Meadows, Nykahi Davenport and Alvin Henderson all in the mix for the next spots.
The battle for those roles has been complicated by health and development, with some players still working back from injuries and others trying to take a step forward early in camp. That has opened the door for a longer evaluation period than Auburn might have wanted, especially with the staff looking to sort out a dependable rotation around Cobb before the season settles in. For a team committed to leaning on the ground game, how that second wave of backs shakes out could end up mattering as much as the starter at the top. [Read more 🡒]