Auburn Inks Veteran Offensive Lineman, Fourth From Transfer Portal

Auburn Tigers head coach Alex Golesh signs on another familiar player of his from USF

The Auburn Tigers add another piece of Alex Golesh's USF team | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

As Alex Golesh continues his rebuild of the Auburn Tigers, one school has stood out in particular as a favorite target of his: his former team, the USF Bulls. On Monday, the university announced that it had signed yet another former Bull to the Tigers’ football squad, this time coming in the form of offensive lineman Cole Skinner.

BREAKING: USF transfer OL Cole Skinner has signed with Auburn, AuburnSports has learned.https://t.co/13wyUMkAc1 pic.twitter.com/w9IbXPHhNg

— Jeffrey Lee (@JLeeAUSports) January 12, 2026

Skinner, who was a three-star out of high school, has earned himself three-star honors once again as a transfer. He’s rated as the 28th-best offensive lineman in this year’s portal at the time of his signing and is the Tigers’ 12th portal addition from USF and the 23rd total addition.

What happens next for the Auburn Tigers? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Auburn Tigers news delivered to your inbox daily!

The New Jersey native saw playing time in both his freshman and sophomore years and is looking to make a splash with his new Tiger team. He’ll surely be welcomed to an Alex Golesh squad that’s in the process of completely revamping the offensive line with the loss of Xavier Chaplin and six others to the portal, while others, like Connor Lew, have entered the draft.

Skinner’s monstrous build, standing at 6-foot-5 and 325 pounds, sets him up well for an offense that’s almost surely going to revolve around the rushing attack, as the Tigers have signed former Baylor running back Bryson Washington to complement Jeremiah Cobb in the backfield.

Additionally, new Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown, who transferred to Auburn after a stellar 2025 campaign with Golesh’s Bulls, has proven time and time again to be a variable rushing threat, a trait that Skinner’s addition will surely benefit.

Skinner’s the second interior offensive lineman signed by the Tigers through the portal, though they’ve also signed two offensive tackles. Combined with returning sophomore Kail Ellis at center, Golesh seems to have put in place substantial building blocks for a strong offensive line.