Auburn Signs 18th-Ranked TE Among Trio of Transfers

Though things haven’t gone exactly Alex Golesh’s way in the early stages of his tenure with the Auburn Tigers, things appear to be looking up for the former USF coach. He’s lost over 30 of Hugh Freeze’s former players to the transfer portal thus far, but he’s also begun to sign players of his own.

Recently, Golesh landed a trio of his former USF players: tight end Jonathan Echols, cornerback Gavin Jenkins and running back Nykahi Davenport. All three announced on Monday that they’d signed with Auburn for the 2026 season.

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BREAKING: USF transfer TE Jonathan Echols has signed with Auburn, @PeteNakos reports🦅https://t.co/lWt4K2wBbi pic.twitter.com/1gkIrwOZ3Y
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 5, 2026

Echols, the 18th-ranked tight end in the transfer portal, is a sophomore who was formerly a four-star prospect out of high school. Now a three-star in the transfer portal, Echols hauled in nine passes for 109 yards and three touchdowns throughout his 2025 campaign.

He’ll be a welcome addition to an Auburn tight end room that’s struggled significantly over the past few years and is down a piece in Preston Howard, who entered the transfer portal just minutes after it opened on Saturday.

Auburn has signed USF cornerback transfer Gavin Jenkins, @chris_hummer and I have learned.

6-foot-2, 180-pounder who redshirted as a true freshman this season. Has four years of eligibility remaining. pic.twitter.com/d9oWOctUVu
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 5, 2026

Jenkins, who’s not ranked in the transfer portal, was a three-star cornerback out of high school, but he chose to redshirt his freshman year at USF, so he’s quite inexperienced as far as college football players go. With that said, Auburn’s lost quite a few pieces at cornerback, so if Jenkins is able to learn and adjust quickly, he may find himself with a starting spot before long.

BREAKING: USF transfer RB Nykahi Davenport has signed with Auburn, @PeteNakos reports🦅https://t.co/ZoyEKyNIiA pic.twitter.com/UvuNFKVtJM
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 5, 2026

Finally, Davenport, the 23rd-ranked running back in the transfer portal, was a three-star prospect coming out of Roswell High School in Georgia. He’ll be a junior in his first year on the Plains, and in his sophomore campaign with Golesh’s Bulls, he managed 612 yards and seven touchdowns on 98 carries.

He’ll have his work cut out for him if he’s looking to fight for a starting spot, as Auburn’s Jeremiah Cobb seems to have found his footing in recent years, leading to his emergence as the Tigers’ clear RB1. That’s not to say the position isn’t up for grabs under a new regime, and Davenport may find himself with a bit of an advantage due to his experience with Golesh-run teams.

Golesh has yet to land a transfer from any school not named the University of South Florida, though he’s certainly going through his old roster to find the best-suited pieces for his new Tigers. At this rate, Auburn may need to relocate to South Florida, but for now, fans will settle for key pieces from last year’s Bulls team.

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