Auburn’s offense is ahead of where it’s been before in Year 1 under Alex Golesh, but the coach isn’t pretending the whole picture is settled.
After a mock game week this past week, Golesh pointed to the familiarity at quarterback, center and receiver as a major reason the Tigers aren’t beginning from scratch as they get ready for Baylor prep. Byrum Brown, center Cole Best, and wideouts Chas Nimrod and Keshaun Singleton all bring experience in Golesh’s up-tempo system, and he said that matters.
“All I can compare it to is the last two places, running a similar offense in Year 1 - we are lightyears ahead, primarily because of the quarterback being in it and understanding the fine nuances of where we are. So, we’re not starting from square one,” Golesh said.
“It certainly helps to have the center that has played in it and understands it. So much of it goes from him as well.
It helps to have some wideouts that have played in it, and they’re certainly a huge part of how we go offensively.”
Golesh brought 14 players with him from South Florida through the transfer portal, including 11 on offense, which is his specialty. That gives Auburn a core that already knows parts of what he wants to do.
Still, the coach says the biggest issue is depth, and more specifically how young it gets once the first group comes off the field.
“I think my biggest concern is purely the youth of the depth. That’s why I say the wideout position is just about like everywhere else, except for running back and tight end - you feel like you get really young really quickly after that,” Golesh said.
“So, the challenge for us is how fast we can get those guys to grow up. They’ve been challenged, now.
They’ve been challenged in every way. In the same breath, that quarterback room, after Byrum, there’s some experience - but not experience in what we do.
So, we’re trying to accelerate the growth as fast as we can. But I feel young there.
“If it’s just 11-on-11 ball, I feel lightyears ahead. Once you end up subbing out a little bit, which is inevitably what you do, you start feeling really young. That will be the challenge for us: How can we get those young guys to grow up really quickly?”
That youth could still turn into a strength if some of the newer names take off. DeShawn Spencer, Jeremiah Koger, Omar Mabson and Brian Williams are among the young players Auburn is watching closely as potential emerging pieces.
Golesh will be back at the podium on Monday with offensive coordinator Joel Gordon and defensive coordinator DJ Durkin to preview Auburn’s Sept. 5 matchup with Baylor.
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Nimrod has made it clear that talent alone only gets a player so far, and he has pointed to Spencers natural ability and Williams route running as examples of why the room has promise. For a group trying to adjust quickly, his experience gives them something more valuable than instruction, because the details, routines and consistency he models are the same ones Auburn will need as the season gets harder. [Read more 🡒]