Bryson Washington is heading into Week One with a familiar opponent on the other side, but he’s not treating it like a reunion tour.
The former Baylor running back, now with Auburn, will face his old team in the Aflac Kickoff Game, a rare early-season matchup that puts him against Coach Aranda and several former teammates. Washington kept his answer simple when asked about the moment.
"I look at it as just another game," Washington said when asked about the chance to play his old team. "We've just got to go handle that."
That kind of response fits the tone Washington has taken here: calm, direct, and not interested in turning the game into something personal.
His Baylor résumé is hard to ignore. Across the 2023-2025 seasons, Washington piled up more than 1,860 rushing yards on 339 carries with 18 rushing touchdowns.
He also added 41 catches for 311 yards and two receiving touchdowns. Baylor got real production out of him, and the numbers back that up.
His time with the Bears also came with a twist. A foot injury in practice, one that required surgery for Dawson Pendergrass, changed Baylor’s original backfield plan.
Washington had been expected to form a one-two punch with Pendergrass, but that never materialized after Pendergrass missed the season. Instead, Washington carried the load alongside freshmen Caden Knighten and Michael Turner.
That missing piece leaves plenty of what-ifs behind, but Washington’s move to Auburn adds another layer to the story.
"It’s different," Washington is quoted as saying, continuing with "The mechanics of everything, how they do it [at Auburn]. I'd say that was the biggest adjustment, for sure."
The systems are clearly not the same. Baylor head coach Dave Aranda and Auburn head coach Alex Golesh bring different offensive ideas, with Aranda leaning more pass-heavy and up-tempo while treating most of the field as "four-down territory" and Golesh running a more traditional, balanced approach that goes "a run here, a pass there; oh, it's fourth down? time to kick the ball" style of offense.
Now the questions shift to the field. How healthy is Washington?
Is he fully back in game shape? Will he be the main complement to Jeremiah Cobb at Auburn, or will sophomore Omar Mabson II take on that role instead?
On Baylor’s side, the challenge is just as clear: can the defense keep the former Bear from making a real impact?
It’s all set up for a matchup with plenty of moving parts, and this one also carries another familiar face in the mix. It will be Pendergrass’ first chance to play against Auburn after missing last season, while Washington gets his first shot at Baylor as a Tiger.
In Other News...
SEC Just Drew A New Line In Future Alabama Roster Fights
The SEC drew a hard new line this week in the roster battles that can shape college football recruiting, eligibility, and second-chance pathways. By unanimous vote of its presidents, chancellors and athletics directors, the league approved a policy that bars member schools from carrying former NFL, NBA or WNBA players on their rosters, a move that now puts the conference in step with the Big Ten on former NFL players returning to college ranks.
For Auburn and the rest of the league, the policy gives commissioner Greg Sankey broad power to enforce it, including suspensions, and it reaches beyond players who actually suited up professionally to those who signed with pro teams or were listed on pro rosters. The timing matters because roster rules have become another front in SEC competition, and the new standard leaves little ambiguity about where the conference wants the line to be drawn, even as the broader ripple effects around eligibility and roster construction are still being sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Added A Transfer Back With Everything To Prove In A Crowded Race
Auburns backfield just got a little more crowded, and that was the point. Alex Golesh added Troy transfer Tae Meadows to the 2026 roster through the portal, bringing in a back who arrives with a fresh rsum and plenty of reason to believe he can push for a role right away. Meadows was Troys leading rusher in 2025, and his track record of strong performances goes back to high school.
For Auburn, the move adds another layer to a running back room that already figures to be a real competition heading into the upcoming season. For Meadows, it creates the sort of proving ground he seems ready to embrace. He is arriving with production behind him, but not with anything guaranteed, which is exactly what makes this addition worth watching as spring and summer work begins to sort out who actually climbs the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn's Leading Scorer Picked His Next Team Amid Eligibility Fight
Keyshawn Halls path beyond Auburn has already taken a significant turn, even if the legal ground beneath it keeps shifting. One of the Tigers leading scorers in 2025 has committed to St. Johns for the 2026 season, setting up his next move while he continues to fight for another year of college eligibility.
Hall had initially been granted the extra season through a preliminary injunction before the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals later sided with the NCAA by granting a stay, leaving him ineligible for now. Hall and his attorney are still pursuing additional legal options, and his future with St. Johns hinges on whether that battle opens the door for him to play there this season. [Read more 🡒]