Auburn’s season opener in Atlanta is getting a familiar feel.
With the Tigers and Baylor set to meet in the 2026 Aflac Kickoff Game on September 5, both programs have tapped former stars to serve as honorary captains for the coin toss. Auburn will be represented by Cam Newton, while Baylor chose Robert Griffin III.
For Auburn, the selection brings one of the most iconic players in school history back into the spotlight as the Tigers begin the Alex Golesh era. Newton has already been vocal about Auburn’s direction, telling Golesh and starting quarterback Byrum Brown simply to win games and saying he is tired of Auburn struggling to find winning seasons under the last two regimes.
Newton’s place in Auburn lore is secure after a single season on the Plains that turned into one of the most legendary runs in college football history. He helped deliver a National Championship and a Heisman trophy, piling up 4,327 total yards and 51 total touchdowns in the 2010 campaign.
That season launched him to the top of the 2011 NFL Draft, where the Carolina Panthers took him first overall. Newton later won Offensive Rookie of the Year, an MVP, and reached the Super Bowl in 2015.
Baylor’s choice carries its own weight. Griffin won the Heisman trophy in 2011, a year after Newton, and put together a massive college career with 12,620 total yards and 111 touchdowns in four seasons with the Bears.
Since his playing days, Griffin has spent time in the NFL with several teams before moving into broadcasting at ESPN and then FOX Sports as a color commentator. He was also on the call when Auburn opened last season at Baylor, a game the Tigers won 38-24. This time, he’ll be on the field instead of in the booth.
The Newton connection also adds another layer to Auburn’s opener because of Brown, whose size, athleticism, and rushing ability have already sparked comparisons to the former Tigers quarterback. Some fans are already talking about the Heisman trophy as a possibility if Brown delivers a big season.
When Auburn and Baylor meet, both schools will have Heisman winners standing with them at midfield. It’s a fitting touch for a Week One matchup that will help set the tone for 2026.
In Other News...
Former Auburn QB Is Back In The Spotlight For A Strange Opener Plan
Jackson Arnold is back in the opening-week conversation, and this time it comes with a twist that should sound familiar to anyone who followed his winding college career. Dan Mullen said Arnold will start UNLVs season opener against Memphis, a notable nod for the former Auburn and Oklahoma quarterback after his path has already carried him through more than one high-profile stop.
Mullen also hinted that Alex Orji will be involved early, which points to something unusual even by college footballs standards: a game plan built around two quarterbacks right out of the gate. For Auburn fans who watched Arnolds development up close, the setup adds another layer of intrigue to a player whose next chapter was already worth tracking, even before the opener plan got this complicated. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Camp May Have Changed One Newcomers Role In A Big Way
With a new coaching staff and more than 60 newcomers flooding Auburns preseason camp, there was always going to be a premium on players who could separate themselves quickly. By the end of camp, five names had clearly helped their cause: Jacob Strand, Gavin Jenkins, Bryson Washington, Christian Neptune and DaShawn Womack. For a roster still sorting itself out, that kind of movement matters, because it can reshape depth charts and give the staff options before the season fully settles in.
Womacks camp stood out for another reason, too. After dealing with a legal issue over the summer, the matter was handled internally by the program and he stayed on the practice field throughout camp. Auburn now has to decide how much of that momentum carries into the fall, but his standing, like the others who rose over the past few weeks, suggests camp may have done more than just get the Tigers ready to practice. It may have changed how they plan to use several newcomers once the games start for real. [Read more 🡒]
Sylvester Smith-Reed Just Gave Auburn Fans A Powerful Reason To Care
Auburn got a meaningful off-field update from senior safety Sylvester Smith, who has changed his last name to Smith-Reed to honor his late grandmother, Miranda Reed. She died four months ago, and Smith-Reed has already made it clear that the upcoming season will be played with her memory in mind, adding a personal layer to what was already an important year for one of the Tigers veteran defenders.
Smith-Reed has also continued to bring the kind of physical style Auburn has come to expect from him during preseason scrimmage work, which makes the name change feel tied to more than sentiment alone. For Auburn, it is a reminder that the season is about more than depth charts and position battles, with one of its seniors carrying both a new name and a very personal source of motivation into the fall. [Read more 🡒]