A new quarterback and a revamped supporting cast give Auburn’s offense a different look heading into 2026. The Tigers will rely on Byrum Brown and a deep running back room while trying to find answers along the offensive line and at receiver.
Auburn’s offense is going to look different in 2026.
Very different.
The Quarterback:
With Alex Golesh taking over as head coach and bringing his offensive system to the Plains, Auburn has rebuilt nearly every part of its offense through the transfer portal. At the center of it all is a quarterback who already knows exactly what Golesh wants from him.
Byrum Brown followed Golesh from South Florida to Auburn after one of the most productive seasons of his college career. Brown completed 66.3% of his passes for 3,158 yards and 28 touchdowns in 2025, while adding 1,008 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. His 42 total touchdowns led all FBS quarterbacks.
Now, Brown gets his first chance to lead an SEC offense.
At 6-foot-3 and 235 pounds, Brown has the frame, athleticism and production to become a top-tier SEC quarterback. His ability as both a passer and runner gives Golesh plenty to work with as Auburn installs its new offense.
The biggest question is whether Brown’s production at South Florida will translate to a full SEC schedule.
Brown has experience against Power Four competition, but Auburn will ask him to face SEC defenses throughout the season. How he handles the physicality and speed of the conference could determine how far this offense goes.
Behind Brown, Oregon State transfer Tristan Ti’a brings starting experience and another capable arm. Ti’a completed 37 of 53 passes for 385 yards and three touchdowns in his lone start last season.
Still, this is Brown’s offense.
The Running Backs
And he has plenty of talent around him.
If there is one position where Auburn appears to have the most depth, it is running back.
Jeremiah Cobb returns after rushing for 969 yards and five touchdowns in 2025, coming just 31 yards short of becoming Auburn’s latest 1,000-yard rusher.
Now Cobb has another opportunity to reach that mark and establish himself as one of Auburn’s next great backs. But he won’t have to carry the load alone.
Bryson Washington comes to Auburn from Baylor after rushing for 788 yards and six touchdowns last season. The year before, he ran for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns. His time at Baylor also adds an interesting storyline to Auburn’s season opener.
Nykahi Davenport followed Golesh from South Florida and rushed for 612 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025. His familiarity with the offense gives Auburn another experienced option in the backfield.
Then there’s Omar Mabson.
The sophomore from Auburn High School carried the ball 16 times for 71 yards and a touchdown as a freshman, but has continued to impress during the preseason and gives Auburn another young back with plenty of upside.
For an offense with so many new pieces, this depth could be one of its biggest strengths. Cobb brings experience, Washington and Davenport bring proven production, and Mabson gives Golesh another option to develop.
The offensive line isn’t necessarily Auburn’s biggest weakness.
It is its biggest question mark.
The Tigers had to replace a significant amount of experience up front and heavily rebuilt the position through the transfer portal.
The Offensive Line
Two of the most important additions followed Golesh from South Florida.
Cole Best started all 13 games at center for the Bulls in 2025 and earned third-team All-American Conference honors. He enters his second season as a full-time starter after making 20 consecutive starts at center for USF.
Cole Skinner also followed Golesh to Auburn. He played in 12 games last season, making four starts at right guard. Skinner also saw time as a fullback in short-yardage situations and scored two rushing touchdowns.
Auburn also added Jacob Strand from Oregon State and Jack Leyrer from Stanford. Strand started all six games he played in 2025 at left tackle, while Leyrer brings 16 career starts from Stanford after missing the 2025 season because of injury.
The new group has size and experience, but now it has to come together quickly.
Auburn doesn’t need its offensive line to be perfect. It needs it to give Brown a chance to play quarterback instead of making him play superhero.
With three proven backs behind him, the Tigers should be able to lean on the run when needed. But that starts up front. If Auburn can create holes and keep Brown clean, Golesh will have plenty of options to work with.
If it can’t, none of the talent at the skill positions will matter much.
No position has changed more than wide receiver.
The Wide Receivers
Auburn lost Cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons, Eric Singleton Jr. and other contributors from last year’s group, leaving the Tigers with an almost entirely new receiver room.
Replacing Coleman alone would have been difficult. Instead, Auburn has to replace a large portion of its receiving production.
But the Tigers have one major advantage: chemistry.
Keshaun Singleton, Jeremiah Koger, Chas Nimrod and Christian Neptune all followed Golesh from South Florida to Auburn, giving Brown several familiar faces in his new offense.
Singleton led USF in receiving last season with 50 catches for 877 yards and eight touchdowns. Koger added 38 catches for 597 yards and eight touchdowns, while Nimrod had 23 catches for 466 yards and three touchdowns in just seven games before an injury ended his season.
Neptune caught 38 passes for 335 yards and a touchdown as a freshman.
The numbers give Auburn reason to believe the group can produce.
The familiarity could be just as important.
Brown already knows how these receivers run their routes, and they already know how he operates. They have practiced and played together, giving Auburn an established connection that most teams with a rebuilt receiver room don’t have.
But there is still a major question: Can that production translate to the SEC?
Auburn doesn’t need one player to become the next Cam Coleman. It needs the entire group to consistently create separation, make plays and give Brown reliable targets against SEC defensive backs.
There is plenty to like about Auburn’s new offense.
Brown gives the Tigers an experienced dual-threat quarterback. Cobb leads a deep running back room, while Washington and Davenport bring proven production. The receivers already have chemistry with Brown, and the offensive line has the experience and talent to potentially become a strength.
But there are questions everywhere.
Can Brown turn his production at USF into SEC success? Can the offensive line come together quickly? Can Auburn’s new receivers hold up against SEC defensive backs?
Those questions won’t be answered on paper.
They’ll be answered on the field.
Auburn has spent the offseason building an offense around Golesh’s system and Brown’s skill set.
Now it has to prove it can work in the SEC.