With the Auburn Tigers ' season opener against the Baylor Bears in the Aflac Kickoff Game less than a week away, depth charts finalized and there are still questions regarding who will get serious playing time for potentially the rest of the season.
The Tigers have not played a meaningful game in nine months, and after bringing in head coach Alex Golesh to revive the program, there has been a lot of roster turnover. The opening game in Atlanta will tell fans, the media, and even the coaching staff a lot about certain position groups that raise some questions.
Some positions do not draw any concerns. New starting quarterback Byrum Brown won the job dominantly, returning senior running back Jeremiah Cobb is back to lead the backfield in his fourth year on the plains, and the linebacker room has been set for months. However, there are four position groups to watch against the Bears to see their performance and how they are rotated in and out. Week one will be a major tell for the Tiger's season, and these units could dictate the team's outcome.
A completely revamped offense under Golesh brings hopes of the Tigers having an offense that is at least in the top 50 points per game in the country, which would be a first since 2019.
Since 2021, Golesh has never finished outside the top 45 in points per game and led Tennessee's offense to the highest-scoring and seventh-highest-scoring in the nation in 2021 and 2022. A crucial part of that offense is a balanced run game. With Cobb expected to be the lead tailback for the second year in a row, the question then boils down to who will see the most carries next, and how deep into the room will the Tigers will go.
In the transfer portal, the Tigers swung big and picked up former Baylor tailback Bryson Washington to complement Cobb and build one of the best running back rooms in the country. As a redshirt freshman at Baylor, Washington ran for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns, adding 217 through the air. The offense as a whole took a step back last year, leading Washington to only rush for 788 yards.
Against Auburn last year, he had 14 carries for 54 yards.
Washington's talent and ability was already put on full display prior to the pickup. When Washington arrived on the Plains however, Golesh made comments about his weight and that he may have not been in the best shape of his life back in the spring. The remarks turned to motivation, with Washington now saying this is the best he's ever felt. He looks to have a major revenge game this upcoming Saturday
Omar Mabson II has been pushing for the second running back spot with concerns about Washington's health and conditioning. The former three-star from Auburn High School is a sophomore who showed flashes in very few opportunities last year . Mabson has impressed in spring and fall camp , especially as a pass blocker with questions surrounding Washington.
The rotation could go even deeper than Cobb, Washington, and Mabson. Three newcomers to the Plains could see playing time and make an impact for the Tigers in week one and potentially the rest of the season.
Brown and Golesh lead running back for USF last year Nykahi Davenport came to Auburn after 662 total yards and seven touchdowns last season. Troy's Tae Meadows committed through the transfer portal after 759 cumulative yards and six touchdowns. Four star Alvin Henderson arrived on campus after a dominant high school career as well. All three of these backs have shown serious potential and can play week one to keep fresh legs throughout the entire game and season.
With Cobb leading the way, it remains to be seen who will be on the field after him, and how far down the depth chart the Tigers go when it comes to the running game.
There is a lot of familiarity for the Tigers defense in 2026. D.J. Durkin remains the defensive coordinator and a lot of the projected starters were at Auburn in 2025. Although there is a majority of returning players in the defensive back room, injury-prone players and expected leaps is the story for the corners and safeties.
The corner and nickel position for Auburn seem to be set but there are still subjects to discuss. Rayshawn Pleasant and former UCLA Bruin Andre Jordan Jr. will be on the boundary. Both had decent seasons last year, but will they be able to step up and be the full-time starting outside corners facing off against wide receiver one and twos every snap. The deeper down the depth chart comes with more uncertainty. Blake Woodby returns with not a lot of snaps under his belt, as well as transfers Gavin Jenkins and Shamar Arnoux. All three will rotate in so they will be players to watch.
At nickel, Sylvester Smith-Reed is expected to start, but he was banged up in camp as well. Any of these defensive backs can work their way to play in the nickel week one.
At safety, there is a lot more possibility. Champ Anthony has dealt with major leg injuries in back-to-back seasons with the Tigers, but he seems to be fully healthy and has been a leader for the defense through fall camp. When healthy, the talent has been on full display. Anthony is starting alongside sophomore Eric Winters, with the two taking majority of the first team reps in fall camp. The room goes even deeper, and Durkin has consistently rotated safeties on his defense. AnQuon Fegans and Kaleb Harris will see the field a lot as well, but in what capacity.
The passing game with Golesh and Brown will be pivotal to the Tiger success in 2026 and especially in week one. The room is led by former USF Bulls that come over with the head coach and passer. Jeremiah Koger, Keshaun Singleton, Chas Nimrod will be featured heavily, but how many other pass catchers will rotate in?
Young receivers Christian Neptune, Brian Williams Jr., and DeShawn Spencer are all expected to play against Baylor, competing for the third and fourth spot in the anticipated high-powered offense.
Another aspect to look out for is which receiver will step up for the Tigers offense. Singleton led the Bulls last year, but Nimrod was competing with him until a leg injury made him miss the final five games of the season. Will one dominate against Baylor to set up a potential 1,000 yard receiver for the first time on the Plains since 1999?
Watching the offensive line is less about who will be playing, but more about how they perform against Baylor. The Tigers offensive line is completely different then last year's 2025 group. They have new starters across every single position, which usually does not bode well in a team's opening game.
Baylor's defensive line struggled mightily last season, but head coach Dave Aranda and defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman are very high on this year's position group. Baylor's defense won't be the strongest Auburn faces this season, so the offensive line needs to prove its dominance and start strong for an offense that has high expectations this season.
The performances and distribution of playing time between those four groups will be a major discussion point following the result in week one. While it may end up being a different breakdown later in the season, each unit will show signs of what Alex Golesh plans on doing in his first year on the Plains.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/auburn as Four Auburn Position Groups To Look Out For In Week 1 Against Baylor .
