The 2026 football season for the Auburn Tigers is on the horizon. As we anticipate the start of the season, let's introduce you to a key member of the 2026 roster.
Auburn head coach Alex Golesh made it a point to load the running back room with talent in the transfer portal. He did just that by adding Tae Meadows , the Troy Trojans ' leading rusher in 2025.
Meadows gained attention statewide when he rushed for 264 yards and four touchdowns as an 11th-grader for the Handley Tigers in their AHSAA Class 4A state championship win over Gordo High School in 2020. Despite showcasing the mentality of an elite back in high school, Meadows needed to prove his worth at the FBS level by walking on at Troy, where it took him three years to climb the ladder to the top spot on the Trojans' depth chart.
He thrived in the opportunity by rushing for 695 yards and six scores as a junior in 2025. He made a splash by rushing for 186 yards in Troy's season-opener, and he eclipsed the 90-yard mark in Troy's 28-18 win over Southern Miss in November.
Now a senior, Meadows is working to achieve his dream of playing running back for the team he cheered for growing up in Roanoke, Alabama, a town located 45 miles north of Auburn.
"My dream school was Auburn growing up," Meadows said in a recent interview with AuburnTigers.com . "My family was originally Alabama fans, shoot dang near my whole city. But now I see my family all buy Auburn jerseys and everything. They are so happy to see me doing something that I grew up wanting to do and living out my dream at Auburn."
Meadows has worked tirelessly to crack the Auburn running back rotation that is filled with talent that includes returning star Jeremiah Cobb , a 1,000-yard rusher in Bryson Washington , a fellow AHSAA legend in Alvin Henderson , and Omar Mabson, who has worked his way from the bottom to become a quality player in an SEC offense. Meadows has proven to be an elite back at this level once, and could do it again if the opportunity arises.
Get to know Auburn running back Tae Meadows by checking out his Auburn football player profile below.
Position:RB
Hometown:Roanoke, Alabama
High School:Handley High School
Previous college team:Troy
Height:5-10
Weight:200
Class:Senior
Recruiting class:2022
Signed with:Troy
Position rank:No. 64 (247Sports)
State rank:No. 35
Rating:Three-star
Other schools in the mix: Georgia Southern , Tennessee , Appalachian State
| Year |
GP |
GS |
Att. |
Yds |
Avg. |
TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 (Troy) |
1 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
5.0 |
1 |
| 2024 (Troy) |
3 |
0 |
3 |
41 |
13.7 |
0 |
| 2025 (Troy) |
12 |
10 |
159 |
695 |
4.4 |
6 |
| Totals |
16 |
10 |
163 |
741 |
4.5 |
7 |
2023 (Troy):66.5
2024 (Troy):77.4
2025 (Troy):72.6
Strengths:Yards after contact (452 in 2025), First downs (34 gained in 2025), B-Gap running (232 yards, 165 yards after contact when running between guard and tackle in 2025)
Auburn Wire is preparing for the 2026 season by profiling several notable players. Check out the 2026 player profile of your favorite player below.
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Player profile: Tae Meadows is chasing a dream in Auburn
