Auburn’s offensive line is going to look almost nothing like it did a year ago, and that makes the group one of the biggest wild cards on the roster heading into 2026.
The Tigers are leaning hard into their ground game this season, and that puts a lot of pressure on a rebuilt front that has been pieced together through transfers. Six of the seven linemen who started a game for Auburn last season are gone, leaving sophomore center Kail Ellis as the only returner from that unit. So the question isn’t whether the line changed - it’s whether all these new parts can click fast enough.
The headliner is Cole Best, a redshirt senior from USF who arrives with real production and real credibility. At 6-foot-4 and 322 pounds, he looks the part of a plug-and-play SEC lineman, and his resume backs it up: he was an All-American Conference third-teamer this past season and started each of USF’s last 20 games.
But Best brings more than just experience and hardware. Byrum Brown, his longtime quarterback, has called him a leader and a key piece of the offense, and Best has returned the praise, which is the kind of connection Auburn is hoping carries over immediately.
Another USF transfer, Cole Skinner, is expected to take over at right guard. The senior checks in at 6-foot-5, 322 pounds and played in all 12 games last year, making four starts. There’s even a chance he shows up in a few trick plays, since he scored two rushing touchdowns last season.
The battle for the other guard spot leans toward Jack Leyrer, a redshirt senior from Stanford, over Deryc Plazz, a sophomore transfer from Miami. Leyrer is the favorite, but there’s a wrinkle: he missed all of last season because of an injury. That opens the door for Plazz, who is 6-foot-4, 320 pounds and has not yet made a college start, to work his way into the rotation or even push for the job.
On the edges, Auburn is banking on size and experience. Stanton Ramil, a redshirt junior transfer from Michigan State, is set to anchor blindside tackle at 6-foot-7 and 312 pounds. He already has 13 starts in his last 16 games, which gives him a clear edge when the competition gets more physical.
At left tackle, Jo Simmons is expected to lock down the job. The redshirt senior transfer from James Madison stands 6-foot-5 and 330 pounds, and he earned All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention last season after starting all 13 games for the Dukes.
Alex Golesh appears to be building this line around older, battle-tested players, and that approach makes sense given how much Auburn wants to lean on the run. If the group settles in quickly, the Tigers’ rushing attack should have room to breathe, and the passing game will get more time to come along.
In Other News...
Bo Nix Just Gave Auburn Fans A Huge Reason To Exhale
Bo Nix is back in full 11-on-11 work at Broncos training camp, a welcome sign for Auburn fans still tracking every step of his NFL climb. After being limited earlier in camp, the former Tigers quarterback has moved back into the kind of team periods that matter most, and Sean Payton sounded satisfied with where Nix is physically as Denver continues to build toward the season.
Payton also made clear the Broncos are still ironing out the offense around him, with the run game one area he wants to see sharpened before the preseason opener against the Falcons on Aug. 14. For now, though, the bigger takeaway is simple: Nix looks to be trending in the right direction, and Denver appears to be getting him back into the mix at just the right time. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Rebuilt Cornerback Room Brings Hope And One Lingering Concern
Auburns cornerback room looks nothing like it did a year ago, and that is by design. DeMarcus Van Dyke has overseen a full rebuild after the Tigers lost five players from last season, including starters Jay Crawford and Kayin Lee, then brought in five transfers to join a mix of returners and underclassmen who will spend camp fighting for roles. Jordan and Rayshawn Pleasant are viewed as the early favorites to land the starting jobs, giving Auburn a new-look back end with a chance to stabilize quickly.
The upside is obvious enough that both Van Dyke and Alex Golesh have pointed to the groups potential, especially with players such as Gavin Jenkins and Arnoux drawing attention as the room takes shape. Jenkins brings the kind of length and ball skills that can change how a defense looks on the outside, while Arnoux has the raw talent to push the competition further. The question now is whether Auburn can turn all that newness into dependable play fast enough, because the talent is there, but the consistency still has to follow. [Read more 🡒]