Auburn’s offensive line picture got a little clearer in the Tigers’ 43-8 win over Southern Miss, and a little busier, too.
After the interior line drew heat following Week 1 against Baylor, Alex Golesh said Auburn went into Saturday planning to rotate up front. That showed up quickly, especially at the guard spots, where the Tigers mixed and matched early instead of sticking with one set group.
Left guard was the spot worth watching most closely. Jacob Strand started there, but he shared time with true freshman Wilson Zierer. Golesh said the staff wanted to see Zierer inside and outside, and he made it clear the young lineman has already earned notice.
“We repped him inside and he got to play some inside and some outside,” Golesh said of Zierer. “He’s going to be a really good player. He’s already a good player.”
Zierer, from Munich, Germany, arrived as Auburn’s highest-rated offensive lineman in the 2026 signing class and was signed as a tackle. His work at guard on Saturday underscored how much the Tigers value his flexibility. He spent spring practice and preseason camp backing up both tackle spots, and he even worked as the first-team right tackle in the spring while Stanton Ramil was coming back from injury.
On the other side, Cole Skinner handled most of the snaps at right guard, while Stanford transfer Jack Leyrer also got work there.
The results were much better in the run game than they were a week earlier. Auburn piled up 343 rushing yards and averaged 6.7 yards per carry against Southern Miss.
Still, the opponent mattered. The Tigers had a clear physical edge that they won’t enjoy every week once SEC play gets rolling.
The biggest problem for the line was not the movement, but the mistakes. Auburn was flagged five times up front, and one of those penalties wiped out a 52-yard rushing touchdown by Byrum Brown.
Golesh said he was unhappy with the penalties, but he wants to review the film before giving a fuller assessment of how the interior line performed. With SEC play approaching, settling on the best combination will matter, and Zierer looks like one of the young pieces to keep in the conversation.
“It was good to get him some experience,” Golesh said. “We’ll need him as we continue to keep going here. We’ll continue to evaluate it and figure out who our best five are.”
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