Auburn’s offseason makeover has come with a built-in advantage that Chris Doering thinks matters more than almost anything else in a first year under a new head coach: everyone already knows the script.
SEC Network’s analyst pointed to the Tigers’ unusual level of familiarity under Alex Golesh, arguing that Auburn may be as connected as any team he has seen entering a coach’s first season.
“For me, Alex Golesh, as soon as he came in, he started hitting on some hot-button words that were music to Auburn’s ears,” he said. “They play physically, they’re intent on running the football… In terms of year #1, there’s not a better team with continuity that I’ve ever seen before.
You keep D.J. Durkin and a lot of the defensive players, you’ve got continuity on that side.
You bring Byrum Brown over and five or six of his receivers from USF, you bring his center over, so there’s a lot of continuity there.”
That continuity is the backbone of what Auburn’s 2026 team is expected to look like: a blend of USF’s 2025 offense and Auburn’s 2025 defense, with both groups bringing strong production into the new season.
On offense, the Tigers are built around Byrum Brown, one of only a few quarterbacks this decade to throw for more than 3,000 yards and rush for more than 1,000 in the same season. The other players to hit that mark are all in the NFL now. Auburn’s ground game is also expected to lean heavily on Brown, returner Jeremiah Cobb and Baylor transfer Bryson Washington, assuming Washington is healthy.
The passing game is set up to look almost like a USF reunion. Auburn is expected to rely heavily on the Bulls’ 2025 receiving group, including four of USF’s top five receivers from last season. The exceptions are Auburn’s tight ends, who are not USF transfers, along with returning receiver Bryce Cain.
Defensively, Auburn may be even better positioned. The Tigers are coming off a strong 2025 season on that side of the ball, and the unit is again expected to be a force, led by Xavier Atkins, who paced the SEC in tackles for loss last year. The main loss is NFL first-round pick Keldric Faulk, but Auburn has filled that spot with four-star Ole Miss transfer Da’Shawn Womack.
The bigger picture is simple: Auburn enters preseason with two groups that already know what their coaches want, how the schemes function and what the culture is supposed to look like. That kind of head start could matter right away.
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Bo Nix is back in full 11-on-11 work at Broncos training camp, a welcome sight for Auburn fans tracking his pro progress as Denver inches toward its preseason opener against the Falcons on Aug. 14. After spending time limited to 7-on-7 work, Nix has moved back into the kind of team periods that matter most this time of year, and coach Sean Payton said he is pleased with where the quarterback is physically as camp continues to build toward game action.
Payton also sounded encouraged by the way the offense is trending around him, while noting there is still room for improvement in the run game to help everything else fit together. For Auburn supporters, the bigger takeaway is simple: Nix appears to be moving in the right direction at the right time, with the injury timeline apparently settling into place as Denver gets closer to its first preseason test. [Read more 🡒]
Greg McElroy Just Sent Auburn Fans A Different Kind Of Message
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Alex Golesh has already started reshaping the offense with a heavy transfer infusion from his previous stop, while the Tigers also kept defensive coordinator DJ Durkin and important holdovers on that side of the ball. Xavier Atkins is back as a headline defender, giving Auburn a proven piece to build around, but the bigger question is whether the new-look offense can match what the defense is expected to provide and turn that tier placement into something more meaningful. [Read more 🡒]
Bryson Washington Enters Auburn Camp With Everything Still To Prove
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Even with his experience, Washington is still being asked to show more before the staff settles on a pecking order. Auburn head coach Alex Golesh has made it clear this offseason that the backup spot is open for business, which leaves Washington in a proving-ground role as the Tigers sort out a depth chart that could keep shifting well into camp. [Read more 🡒]