Auburn’s Alex Golesh Receives Favorable Roster Grade Ahead of 2026 Season

The Auburn Tigers have seen quite a significant roster overhaul since Hugh Freeze was fired, mostly on offense.

Notably, the Tigers lost their entire quarterback room for the second straight year, nearly all of their receivers, their entire offensive line and a host of other key contributors.

However, Alex Golesh quickly went to work with what was left of his roster, and when the dust settled, the Tigers had an incredibly strong roster that could easily prove to be one of the better teams in the SEC.

On Thursday, CBS Sports’ David Cobb put out an article ranking the rosters of all coaches in their first year with a program, and Golesh received quite a favorable A- grade.

“The fulcrum of South Florida's high-powered offensive attack is coming with Golesh from Tampa, headlined by dual-threat quarterback Byrum Brown,” Cobb said. “The veteran star will bring his top back and most of his leading receivers from last season with him. Those additions set a high floor for Golesh, who learned how to make this offense work in the SEC during his time under Josh Heupel at Tennessee.”

Brown is, despite a bit of negative press about his throwing motion, without a doubt one of the most anticipated quarterbacks to journey to the Plains in some time, as the Tigers have not had a proven, top-level competitor in the saddle in some time.

Joining him on offense, as Cobb mentioned, is a host of USF transfer receivers that will look to somewhat replace the production of the ‘Freeze Four,’ a highly-talented and rated group of receivers that were signed under Hugh Freeze and transferred when he left. The new group’s familiarity with Golesh’s scheme should bode well for an easy installation, though, which results in more time being available to focus on execution and consistency.

Defensively, though, is where the Tigers appear to be the strongest.

Over the past few years (and some would argue decades), Auburn has lived and died by its defense, and this year’s unit is, undoubtedly, one of the best in the nation. The Tigers’ linebacker group, consisting of Atkins, Demarcus Riddick, Bryce Deas, Elijah Melendez and a host of others, already ranks in the top-three in the SEC.

The Tigers’ biggest loss on defense from the 2025 season was Keldric Faulk, who was snapped up in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but Golesh went out and found a top-level replacement in Da’Shawn Womack, an Ole Miss transfer who is expected to be one of the Tigers’ top contenders this year.

So, though Alex Golesh certainly had his work cut out for him when he stepped into the role, he has executed his roster creation to near perfection, and the Auburn family are already beginning to step out and show their support.

Sign up for our free Auburn Tigers newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news!

Add us as a preferred source on Google