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.
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