Auburn HC Alex Golesh Dives Deeper into Abundance of USF Transfers

As Alex Golesh begins his tenure as the new head coach of the Auburn Tigers, a lot of speculation has arisen surrounding the 13 players he brought in from USF, where he formerly coached.

Some Tiger fans have expressed that they believe this new group of former Group of Five players will not be able to keep up with the intensity of SEC play, but Golesh is confident that his former players are the right people for the job.

Echoing is previous statement to Josh Pate, where he said if the players were good enough for USF, they are "good enough [at Auburn],” Golesh specifically pointed to his USF quarterback/center duo in Byrum Brown and Cole Best.

“I would tell you two things,” Golesh said in an interview with Takeo Spikes. “One, the familiarity with the offense, the familiarity with how we play. They speed the process up.”

Bring what works if you want change! @CoachGolesh explains why he brought @byrumbrown17 & other portal players to lead @AuburnFootball.

Follow @thebtmpodcast for the full interview https://t.co/jUI6zYZ3ON #wareagle 🦅 #wde 👊🏿 pic.twitter.com/KqZoDvoCOD
— Takeo Spikes, MBA (@TakeoSpikes51) March 31, 2026

Brown and Best represent just two of 13 USF transfers on the Plains this year, though, and Golesh was clear that he believes the entire unit is beneficial to the program.

“Change is tough,” Golesh said. “It’s human nature to sit in the locker room and go, ‘Hey, can you believe that? Can you believe he said that?’ To have, call it 13 guys, as guys are buying in going ‘Stop. Dude’s intention is this. Man, I’ve been around him three, four years. Just trust him. He got you.’”

Golesh went on to emphasize the importance of this level of leadership from his former players, explaining that it can make a massive difference in both the implementation of his schemes and the perception of his character.

“When that comes from another player, a peer,” Golesh said, “I think it’s way different than me standing up and proving to them, 'you can trust me.' And I think the faster that trust is built, the faster we can keep this program moving forward, and if those 13 guys can help bridge that gap, I’d tell you that’s priceless.”

As many of Golesh’s new players transferred in from USF just months after he was hired in November, there has been plenty of time for the noise to reach this group of new Tigers. In fact, multiple new Auburn wide receivers, including Jeremiah Koger and Keshaun Singleton, have already spoken out to the critics.

“We came here to compete,” Koger said. “Group of Five, SEC or not. We are trying to show everyone that we belong here.”

Adding Singleton: "I feel like every league is the same, to be honest. Like, all of us came from different places, but we all grew up really in the same way. So, I don’t think it’s a different level. It’s just how bad you want it, how you gonna get it, at each level.”

As spring practice keeps moving forward, there is still plenty of time for Golesh’s new guys to figure out exactly what leadership looks like, and for Golesh’s tenured squad to aid in that transition.

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