Auburn Football Heavily Underrated in CBS' Power Rankings

The Auburn Tigers aren't being given the benefit of the doubt or any credit with a new head coach

Auburn has to prove it can improve | John Reed-Imagn Images

CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello released his post-transfer portal SEC football power rankings on Tuesday, and the Auburn Tigers did not find themselves very high on the list. Marcello ranked first-year head coach Alex Golesh’s squad at No. 12, ahead of only Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, and Mississippi State.

“Quarterback transfer Byrum Brown will partner with returning RB Jeremiah Cobb to mold one of the more underrated backfields in the SEC, but can the Tigers get the production they need to replace the upside of a Cam Coleman with a trio of WR transfers from USF?” Marcello wrote.

While Marcello is correct about the upside of Coleman being difficult to replicate, Auburn fans shouldn’t shed any tears over a receiving corps that is adding three players who outproduced every Auburn receiver but Coleman significantly in 2025. Keshaun Singleton, the top transfer acquisition from USF, outproduced even Coleman and was an extremely reliable target for Brown.

And, as far as the Auburn backfield is concerned, the dynamic duos aren’t limited to Brown and Cobb. The addition of Baylor running back Bryson Washington adds a perfect thunder to go along with Cobb’s lightning, each of which would pair well with Brown’s extremely dynamic playstyle. 

Another of the concerns for Marcello with the Tigers was the offensive line, which had to be entirely replaced after 2025. But again, is completely replacing a unit that was marred by constant struggle really a bad thing? 

Auburn acquired three portal tackles that were ranked top 20 at their position by 247Sports in the portal cycle: Michigan State’s Stanton Ramil, JMU’s Jo Simmons, and Oregon State’s Jacob Strand. Additionally, the Tigers brought in Cole Best, the No. 9 interior lineman in the portal, to anchor the unit at center.

Though no one can indeed know what the unit will do or how it will perform as a whole, the Auburn offense definitely projects to be exciting in 2026. The offense should be paired with yet another stellar defense under defensive coordinator DJ Durkin, led by outstanding junior linebacker Xavier Atkins.

So, with all of that going for the Tigers, it raises some questions about the teams currently listed above Auburn, most notably South Carolina at No. 9 and Tennessee at No. 11. The Volunteers don’t know who its quarterback will be for 2026 yet, as Joey Aguilar is currently tied up in a lawsuit seeking an extra year of eligibility. After all, what is a modern college athletics team without an active eligibility lawsuit?

As for South Carolina, they went a disastrous 4-8 in 2025 after being projected as a College Football Playoff hopeful, and are relying on a rebuilt offensive line to work miracles, not unlike Auburn. While LaNorris Sellers is an incredibly talented quarterback, it’s clear he can’t do it all, and Shane Beamer will need to find some special magic to rebound in 2026.

Meanwhile, Auburn enters 2026 with the nation’s leader in total offense at quarterback in Brown, much of the same talent surrounding him, and the same coach and system in place. Brown will also have a much better defense to pair with his electric offensive capabilities. 

It’s understandable not to have Auburn high in an offseason after the Tigers went 5-7. However, considering the pieces Golesh has brought to The Plains, No.12 just seems to be too low, especially when other teams are being boosted for making similar moves in the transfer portal.