Auburn’s roster could still change before kickoff, but Alex Golesh isn’t rushing to force the issue.
With college football in the middle of a messy, fast-moving eligibility scramble, the Tigers’ new head coach said the staff has been tracking developments one day at a time. Colorado judge Charlotte Sweeney’s blanket ruling to grant all Class of 2022 college athletes has triggered a wave of last-minute movement around the sport, with teams trying to patch holes and players whose careers looked finished suddenly searching for new homes.
Golesh addressed the situation on his first appearance on Tiger Talk, Auburn’s weekly coaches show, and made it clear the staff has been working through the shifting landscape behind the scenes.
“We’ve kind of taken it day by day as things have come up and things have changed day-by-day,” Golesh said. “As recent as late last night, we’re working through, ‘Man, does it make sense to potentially add somebody or not?’”
So far, Auburn has not signed or publicly pursued any players who spent time on NFL rosters this summer, even as other programs have taken that route. LSU, for example, has courted former Cleveland Brown Dae’Quan Wright.
Auburn has made one roster addition since Sweeney’s ruling in late July: former Troy wide receiver Tray Taylor. Taylor is a fifth-year player whose college path began in junior college, and Golesh said earlier this week that he is not yet eligible to play in games but can practice with the team.
Golesh said that if Auburn does add anyone else, he would rather it be someone the staff already knows. Taylor never played for Golesh, but he was recruited by Golesh’s staff at South Florida while in junior college.
“We’ve worked so hard to build a connection and build an identity,” Golesh said. “To bring somebody into that right now, and I’m not judging anybody that has, for us, that would be really, really hard to do.”
Golesh also weighed in on the NCAA’s “five-for-five” ruling passed over the summer, which gives all players five years of eligibility. He said the change is “gonna help,” especially in how Auburn handles younger players.
Under the old setup, a player could lose his redshirt by appearing in more than four games, which forced coaches to be careful about preserving eligibility. That pressure is gone now, and Golesh said the rule gives staffs more room to let young players develop by actually getting on the field.
“It allows you to continue to help those guys develop, and you can develop in a lot of ways,” Golesh said, “but playing in actual games is the is the easiest way to actually develop and gain experience.”
He also pointed to a possible benefit down the road. Golesh said Auburn has six players who could return for a fifth year in 2027 under the new rules, though he did not name them.
Auburn is nine days away from opening the Golesh era against Baylor in its 2026 season opener. The game is set for 2:30 p.m. CT next Saturday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and will air on ABC.
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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 🡒]