Auburn Running Back, Former Four-Star Announces Return for 2026 Season

The Auburn Tigers have retained another highly coveted player from their impressive 2025 signing class.

Freshman running back Alvin Henderson has announced he will return to the Plains for his second season in 2026, via his Snapchat story.

The transfer portal closed on Jan. 16, meaning he couldn’t have entered anyway, but an official announcement on social media is always energizing and encouraging for fans.

Henderson saw action in just one game in his inaugural year with the Tigers this past season, with his one snap coming in Auburn’s blowout win over Mercer in late November, according to Pro Football Focus. He earned a 60.0 run blocking grade in the lone snap against the Bears.

Despite a lack of contribution in 2025, Henderson was rated four stars and ranked as the No. 15 overall running back in the 2025 cycle out of high school, per 247Sports. He was originally committed to Penn State, but flipped to Auburn in June 2024, adding another blue-chip recruit to the Tigers’ 2025 top-10 signing class.

The Elba, Ala., native was a star in high school, breaking multiple records during his time with the Elba High Tigers. Henderson rushed for a state-record 3,620 yards in his senior season, breaking his own record of 3,523 yards set a year prior, and led his team to the Class 1A state semifinals. He recorded 276 carries for 61 touchdowns in his final year at Elba, while also averaging 13.1 yards per rush.

Additionally, Henderson claims the state record with 10,930 total rushing yards, earning him 2024-25 Gatorade Alabama Football Player of the Year honors.

This is a big win for Alex Golesh and company, as Henderson’s pledge to remain at Auburn further strengthens a running back room that is already loaded with talent.

Senior Jeremiah Cobb and sophomore Omar Mabson II are the two key returners from last year’s squad, while Durell Robinson (committed to Colorado State) and Damari Alston (committed to Tulsa) have departed from Auburn via the transfer portal.

Mabson has officially announced his return to Auburn, but that’s the assumption given that the transfer portal is currently closed.

The Tigers have also brought in former standout Baylor running back Bryson Washington, former USF running back Nykahi Davenport, and former Troy running back Tae Meadows to add major depth to the position group.

Auburn could very well boast one of the best running back rooms in the SEC, and maybe even the nation, next season. And don’t forget about USF transfer quarterback Byrum Brown as another threat on the ground.

Brown rushed for over 1,000 yards last year with the Bulls and comes to the Plains with a great amount of experience. The three-headed monster with Brown, Cobb, and Washington could be an extremely tough task to stop for opposing defenses, and the depth provided by Mabson, Davenport, Meadows, and Henderson is certainly something to be excited about.