Alex Golesh has made the plan plain from day one in Auburn: the Tigers are going to lean on the run, and they’re going to lean on it heavily.
The part that still needs sorting out is the backfield behind Jeremiah Cobb. Auburn already knows its RB1 for the season opener against Baylor, but RB2 and RB3 remain the moving pieces as the Tigers head into Saturday.
Cobb, the senior returner, led Auburn in rushing last season and will keep the top spot. He finished with just under 1,000 yards, averaged 5.5 yards per carry and scored five touchdowns, though his work near the goal line was limited under Hugh Freeze. Against what is described as a weakened Baylor front, Cobb is expected to have plenty of room to work.
The more intriguing question is who lines up behind him.
Bryson Washington entered the offseason looking like the obvious answer for RB2, but concerns about his physical condition after a run of injuries could leave him stuck in the RB3 role, or even lower. That makes his situation worth watching, especially because the junior used to be on the other sideline.
Washington spent the first two years of his career working against Baylor’s defense, and now he could face the Bears in his first game back against them. The wrinkle, of course, is that Baylor’s defense now comes under new coordinator Joe Klanderman, so Washington’s homecoming won’t be against the same unit he once knew.
The other name pushing for that No. 2 job is Omar Mabson. The Auburn sophomore has reportedly climbed into the mix after a strong spring and fall camp, and his rise has made the competition a real one. Mabson, an Auburn High School graduate, barely saw the field in 2025, but he appears ready for a larger role in 2026 and could share carries with Cobb once the season gets rolling.
Auburn also plans to have Byrum Brown in the backfield to add another layer to the rushing attack, giving Golesh some flexibility and keeping defenses guessing. With the Tigers expected to live and die by the ground game, the combination of Cobb, Washington and Mabson could end up defining how this offense operates right from the start.
In Other News...
Auburn Fans Just Lost A Home Game For A Bigger Reason
Auburns 2026 football opener against Baylor is headed to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, a move that shifts a marquee home date away from Jordan-Hare Stadium but brings a different kind of value to the program. The decision fits into the new college football reality where big nonconference games are being judged not just by atmosphere and tradition, but by the money they can generate and the benefits they can create for a roster.
David Epps, the Peach Bowls CEO, said the Atlanta setup gives Auburn players and the program financial and NIL-related advantages that are becoming harder to ignore. For fans, it is the latest reminder that scheduling in the modern game is no longer just about home-field pride, but about how schools position themselves in a crowded revenue race that keeps changing the meaning of a big September game. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Suddenly Has A Reason To Watch LSU's SEC Fight Closely
Auburn has a new reason to keep one eye on Baton Rouge, and it comes from well beyond the field. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr sent an open letter to SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey supporting LSUs removal from the league, arguing that the Tigers have ignored conference rules involving players with NFL experience and have still benefited from SEC membership without meeting the same obligations as everyone else.
The letter, obtained by ESPN, has added another layer of friction to an already tense SEC issue, with conference members and state officials now drawn into the debate. For Auburn, it is the kind of off-field fight that can ripple through the league if it keeps growing, even if the full consequences of this dispute are still to be determined. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Fans Have One New Reason To Worry About Alex Golesh
Auburn got a little more than the usual offseason coach-speak this week when Alex Golesh hosted a Victory Day celebration involving participants from the Auburn EAGLES program and Lee County Special Olympics. It was the kind of community event that plays well anywhere, but it also drew attention well beyond the Plains, including coverage back in Columbus, Ohio, where Golesh has college ties and a familiar name still carries some weight.
For Auburn fans, that is where the unease starts to creep in. Golesh has been building a profile that reaches outside the SEC footprint, and any coach who starts showing up on national radars inevitably gets linked to bigger jobs sooner or later. There are no official moves or offers on the table, but the combination of visibility, background and rising stock is enough to make people in Auburn watch the next step a little more closely. [Read more 🡒]