Auburn’s Quarterback Puzzle: Alex Golesh Embraces Competition as Tigers Look to Turn the Page
If there’s been one consistent storyline for Auburn football over the past five seasons, it’s the revolving door at quarterback - and not in a good way. From Jackson Arnold to TJ Finley, Payton Thorne to Robby Ashford, the Tigers have cycled through signal-callers without ever really finding "the guy." It’s been a stretch marked by inconsistency and missed opportunities under center - a far cry from the days of Jarrett Stidham leading Auburn to wins over Alabama and Georgia and an SEC West title back in 2017.
Now, with a new head coach in town, there’s cautious optimism that the Tigers might finally be ready to stabilize the most important position on the field.
Alex Golesh, fresh off his introductory press conference, didn’t shy away from the challenge. When asked how he plans to approach Auburn’s quarterback situation, Golesh made it clear: he’s not rushing anything - and he’s not handing out jobs.
“I’ve been in situations where you knew going into spring who your one, two and three were,” Golesh said. “We were in that boat a year ago.
I’ve also been in situations - shoot, more times than I can count - where it went all the way through August. I don’t know if you can rush that part of it.”
That’s a telling quote. It signals a shift in tone and philosophy, one rooted in competition and development rather than quick fixes.
Golesh emphasized the importance of letting the quarterbacks grow within the system before making any decisions. His focus?
Creating an environment where the best player rises to the top organically - not by default.
“You want to have the best competition we possibly can in a room,” he continued. “You let these guys compete, give them every opportunity to grow, develop within the base foundation of what you are from a system standpoint, and then you pick the guy that gives you the best chance to win.”
As it stands, the Tigers’ quarterback room is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing in the SEC heading into 2026. Ashton Daniels and Deuce Knight are expected to return, and both bring something different to the table.
Daniels, who sat out against Mercer to preserve his redshirt, said after the Iron Bowl that he plans to come back. That game against Alabama marked his fourth appearance of the season, keeping him eligible for another year in orange and blue.
Daniels is the more experienced of the two, but Knight is the one turning heads - and for good reason. The former five-star recruit flashed serious potential against Mercer, throwing for six touchdowns in a dominant performance that gave Auburn fans a glimpse of what the future might look like. He’s raw, sure, but the upside is undeniable.
That kind of talent doesn’t sit quietly, though. There’s already some concern among fans that if Knight doesn’t get the nod as a redshirt freshman in 2026, he could explore other options. It’s the reality of today’s college football landscape - especially in the era of the transfer portal.
Golesh seems aware of that dynamic and isn’t ruling anything out when it comes to reshaping the quarterback room. “There’s talented, talented dudes in that room,” he said.
“They have tape, certainly, at this level. We are evaluating it like crazy; we evaluated it coming in.
I think the biggest thing we have to figure out right now is the competition part of that. Are you going to add someone else?
Are you going to add multiple people?”
That brings us to the transfer portal - and one name that’s already generating buzz: Byrum Brown.
Brown, the standout quarterback from USF, has been linked to Auburn largely because of his previous connection with Golesh, who coached him during his time with the Bulls. Brown is listed as a senior, but he only played four games in his freshman season, meaning he’s eligible for one more year.
And what a year he’s had. Brown threw for over 3,100 yards and 28 touchdowns while completing 66.3% of his passes.
On top of that, he added over 1,000 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. That’s dual-threat production at an elite level - and it’s easy to see why Auburn might be interested.
If Brown were to join Daniels and Knight in the quarterback room, Auburn could be looking at its most talented group of QBs in decades. That kind of competition could elevate the entire offense - and finally give the Tigers the steady hand under center they’ve been missing.
Of course, that’s a big “if.” Brown hasn’t entered the portal yet, and even if he does, there’s no guarantee he ends up on the Plains. But the possibility is real, and it adds another layer of intrigue to what’s already shaping up to be a fascinating offseason.
For Golesh, it’s all about patience and process. He’s not setting artificial deadlines, and he’s not rushing to name a starter. If it takes until August to figure it out, so be it.
“At the end of the day, the competition will take as long as it needs to,” Golesh said. “I think in the perfect world we would love to know in January, but in our situation here we won’t, and we probably won’t until August I would imagine, unless spring ball carries out in such a fashion that you’ll know.”
And that’s exactly the kind of approach Auburn needs right now - one that values development, embraces competition, and doesn’t settle for anything less than the best option available. The Tigers haven’t had a true difference-maker at quarterback in years. But with Daniels, Knight, and potentially Brown in the mix, that could finally be about to change.
Iron sharpens iron, and in Auburn’s case, the battle for QB1 might be just what this program needs to reignite its offense and take a step forward under new leadership.