Auburn OC Joel Gorden Reveals Importance of Tigers' 2026 Running Back Room

The Auburn Tigers could have one of the nation’s top running back rooms next season.

Auburn has traditionally been known as a school where the vast majority of successful teams have featured a strong rushing attack. And even teams that weren’t necessarily title contenders, the Tigers always seem to boast one of two elite running backs.

This trend won’t change in 2026, even despite a coaching change, as Auburn could very well have the deepest room it has seen in a long time.

The Tigers brought in a plethora of additions through the transfer portal, including Bryson Washington from Baylor, USF transfer Nykahi Davenport, and Troy’s Tae Meadows. They’ve also managed to retain a few crucial pieces, as senior Jeremiah Cobb, sophomore Omar Mabson II, and redshirt freshman Alvin Henderson are all planning to return to the Plains next year.

New Auburn offensive coordinator Joel Gordon, who followed head coach Alex Golesh to Auburn, spoke on the running back room during a media availability on Wednesday, and he believes the room is headlined by one key returner.

“It all starts with Jeremiah Cobb. He was here. He’s played here, and he was really productive a year ago,” Gordon said. “Behind him there's not a ton of experience and proven production, so you have to have depth with that position regardless what offense you play in.”

Cobb has spent three years and counting at Auburn, and he saw a breakout season as a junior in 2025 after taking over as the Tigers’ top back when Damari Alston was dismissed from the team midway through the season. The Montgomery, Ala., native recorded 969 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 175 carries this past year, and added 83 receiving yards on 11 receptions.

Additionally, Mabson’s performance as a true freshman isn’t necessarily reflected accurately on the stat sheet. He totaled 16 carries for 71 yards and one touchdown, and posted 42 yards on four receptions through the air. The numbers don’t jump off the page, but Mabson showed great promise in his true freshman campaign and is expected to evolve into a heavy contributor in the coming years.

“The way that we play with the tempo, there have to be guys that are ready to be fresh at all times,” Gordon said. “That’s where our offense starts by running the rock and being physical, and those guys are inherently going to get banged up and nicked up as the year goes on, and you have to have guys that are ready to go in there and play.”

“Just building some support around Jeremiah will be huge moving forward. He has proven he can play at a really high level, and he's going to have to do that and improve and get better for us as we move forward,” Gordon continued. “To add some of the guys in that room, there's a bunch of them right now, and it will be fun to get into February and into spring practice and kind of see.”

Washington was one of Baylor’s most dangerous weapons over the past, as he notched over 1,800 yards and 18 touchdowns over the past two years with the Bears. He will serve as a great “RB2” behind Cobb, and he will likely move into Auburn’s top spot in 2027, as he holds two more years of eligibility.

USF transfer Davenport only played one season with the Bulls before hitting the portal, and he finished as their second-leading rusher in 2025. Davenport rushed for 612 yards and seven touchdowns, and he will have three years of eligibility remaining.

The only player who surpassed Davenport in rushing yards last year at USF is now-Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown, who recorded 1,008 yards on the ground.

Meadows is another solid depth pickup for the Tigers, as he compiled 695 rushing yards and six touchdowns as a junior at Troy in 2025.

Gordon detailed the importance of a deep running back room on Wednesday, explaining how a strong ground game will play an uber-important role in this revamped offense under Gordon and Golesh.

“We have to get some of those guys healthy. The season wasn’t too long ago. That's who we are. Our identity is going to be to line up and be able to run the football,” Gordon said. “That’s where everything starts, so getting those guys in, learning the system, getting them out there on the field in February, spring, summer, fall camp before the season.”

“This offense is a lot different from what most of them are coming from. We have to get these guys healthy, have to get them comfortable and get them ready to go. That’s a room where we got to have depth.”