Opening weekend made one thing clear: if you want to know where a football team starts, look up front. On Saturday, Virginia’s veteran offensive line set the tone in a blowout win over NC State, and it was hard to miss why. That group - made up of a pair of fifth-year seniors, a sixth-year senior and two seventh-year players - has piled up more than 160 starts together, and it played like it.
Virginia controlled the line of scrimmage from the jump. The Cavaliers may not be in Auburn’s class overall, but their offensive front looked the part, and it could wind up being one of the best lines in the country. The bigger point was obvious: experienced linemen still matter, and they matter a lot.
Auburn’s front won’t match that level of veteran mileage, but it does bring real seasoning into Saturday’s opener against Baylor. The Tigers have 66 combined starts among the expected five starters, and that number jumps to 120 when games played are added in.
That’s a lot of football, a lot of looks, and a lot of lessons learned. Auburn may not line up and overwhelm people the way Virginia did, but this is a group that has a real chance to establish the game against the Bears.
That opportunity comes with a catch. Auburn can’t afford to lose bodies. There isn’t much proven depth behind the top group, so keeping those linemen healthy is going to be critical.
Watching Ashton Daniels and Jackson Arnold also left a clear impression: both quarterbacks could have helped, and both showed enough to make you glad they were out there, but neither looked free of issues. Auburn’s offense last season had problems beyond the quarterback position, but the play at that spot still wasn’t good enough to lift the team to the next level.
Now the wait turns to Saturday, and it feels like one of those weeks that drags on forever. There’s uncertainty everywhere with Auburn and across the sport as the 2026 season gets rolling, and while there may be some sense of what the Tigers want to be, the real answers are still coming.
One detail stands out. When Auburn’s offense takes the field Saturday, only five players expected to see major snaps have been seen in person in a game setting: Jeremiah Cobb, Omar Mabson, Bryson Washington, Stanton Ramil and DeShawn Spencer.
Washington did that at Baylor, while Cobb, Mabson, Ramil and Spencer were seen at their respective high schools - Thompson and Saraland among them. The rest has mostly been practice work since spring, with only limited scrimmage-style chances.
Still, there are a few things that feel likely. Auburn should lean on a physical running game, with Byrum Brown heavily involved.
Jeremiah Cobb is the name that jumps out as a candidate for a big season. He looks stronger and more physical than he has the last two years, and that could turn more of those 12-yard gains into 25-plus-yard bursts.
Jeremiah Koger also looks like a player who can create real chunk plays in the passing game.
And then there’s the linebacker group, which has a chance to be special. That unit gets an early test on Saturday with former 5-star quarterback DJ Lagway now at Baylor. His ability to run and make plays outside the pocket is going to force that group to prove it can handle a different kind of challenge.
At this point, though, the wait is over in everyone’s mind. The talking is done. The season is here.
In Other News...
Auburn Fans Suddenly Have A Real LSU Dilemma
LSUs push to stock its roster with former NFL players has become one of the SECs most unusual off-field flashpoints, and it has put Auburn in an awkward spot with a game still on the schedule. The conference has drawn plenty of criticism for the situation, and officials are weighing possible responses ranging from sanctions to expulsion, but nothing has been decided yet because the process is still tied up in a legal hearing.
For Auburn fans, the practical question is simpler than the politics: whether the Tigers should just play the game and move on, or let the controversy reshape how they feel about LSU altogether. A boycott does not appear to be on the table, which means Auburn is likely headed into a matchup shadowed by a bigger SEC fight that has nothing to do with the lines on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Jared Smiths Rise Could Change Auburns Biggest Defensive Question
Jared Smiths progress in Auburns fall camp has turned him into one of the more intriguing names on the defensive front, where the Tigers have been searching for more consistent pressure off the edge. Alongside DaShawn Womack, Smith has drawn notice from coaches and teammates for the way his game has taken a noticeable step forward, giving Auburn a little more shape up front as the season approaches.
For a defense that wants to be tougher to block and quicker to finish plays, that kind of rise matters. Smiths development could help answer one of Auburns biggest questions before the opener, especially if the pass rush comes together the way the staff thinks it might. The encouraging part is clear enough already, even if the full payoff still has to play out once the games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns New Staff Just Sent An Early Message Before Baylor
Auburns new coaching staff spent part of the preseason trying to make the first real week feel a little less foreign. Led by Alex Golesh, the Tigers ran a mock game week ahead of the upcoming season and the opener against Baylor, using the rehearsal to get players and coaches inside the rhythm they will need once the games count.
DJ Durkin called the experience extremely valuable, especially for the way it helped everyone settle into routines and tighten communication. For a staff still building its own habits, that kind of dress rehearsal can matter just as much as any scheme work, and Auburn will find out soon enough whether the early message carried over when Baylor finally arrives. [Read more 🡒]