The Auburn Tigers made a surprise move last week when they added Tray Taylor , a 5-foot-6 graduate transfer receiver who formerly played at Troy, to their roster less than three weeks before they were set to open the season against Baylor.
At the time, many were confused as to what exactly new Auburn head coach Alex Golesh was looking to get from a receiver a full six inches below six feet tall, but on Monday, he shed a bit of light on his plans.
"The reason to bring him in - and we recruited Tray a couple years ago when he was coming out of Tyler (Junior College) - the skill set as a returner was the most intriguing piece," Golesh said. He's been productive as a wideout coming in as late as he did into camp. He's trying to get caught up offensively. I thought coming in, honestly, the biggest value he would have that doesn't take as much schematic work would be a return value as a kick and a punt returner."
With late additions like Taylor, there is often not enough time to get schematics and identities fully understood before the season begins, so it is quite the chess move from Golesh to sign Taylor with the hopes of starting him as a kick returner. Additionally, it seems like Golesh is planning to utilize Taylor in the offense down the road, but as he learns the system, he'll likely be relegated to special teams, where he could make an immediate impact.
However, there is a catch: Taylor has not yet been cleared to participate in games this year, though the NCAA is allowing him to practice with the team. Taylor is part of a long list of athletes who are suing the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility, though his reasoning surrounds the fact that he spent the first two years of his career at a junior college.
If Taylor can find a way to be cleared ahead of the season, he could be the second new Tiger in two years to return a kickoff in the opening game of the season, joining Rayshawn Pleasant, who took one all the way back in a key moment for the Tigers in their season opener against Baylor in 2025.
Additionally, with time, Taylor, who is a well-known speedster, could very well find a spot in Auburn's offense as a deep threat or end-around specialist, but he will need time to learn the offense first.
"Hopefully, as he gets cleared, we'll be able to use him in that way, but we haven't done a ton with him on offense as he's trying to figure out and learn what the heck is going on." Golesh said. " He's a special young man that is smart, but also hungry to go get one more year of college football... I really like Tray. That was the reason, we thought, as a return guy could certainly help us, and then we'll see as he integrates into the offense, how he could help us. We've got to get over the hurdle of having him ready for competition here first."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/auburn as Auburn HC Alex Golesh Teases Special Role for New Transfer Receiver .
