Auburn Tigers Expected to Lose Another DB to Transfer Portal

The 2025-26 transfer portal cycle is beginning to ramp up for the Auburn Tigers, as the dominoes have started to fall regarding potential departures from the program.

Defensive back Amon Lane-Ganus plans to enter the transfer portal, per On3 on X early Monday evening. Lane-Ganus becomes the seventh Tiger to announce their intention to transfer away from Auburn.

Auburn DB A’mon Lane-Ganus plans on entering the transfer portal, @Hayesfawcett3 reports

He will have three years of eligibility remaining.https://t.co/dfiddkSs5y pic.twitter.com/vysozyac2h
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) December 8, 2025

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, as Lane-Ganus failed to record a stat in two years with the Tigers. He redshirted after playing in four games last year as a freshman in 2024 and didn’t see any game action in his redshirt freshman campaign this past season.

The Moody, Ala., native is a former four-star recruit and was ranked as the No. 26 cornerback, per 247Sports, and the No. 23 prospect from the state of Alabama out of high school. Lane-Ganus committed to Auburn in June 2022, under former head coach Bryan Harsin, but he remained loyal when Hugh Freeze was hired and signed with the Tigers in December 2023.

Lane-Ganus joins junior defensive back Raion Strader, freshman defensive lineman Anotnio Coleman, senior linebacker Caleb Wheatland, sophomore wide receiver Perry Thompson, junior quarterback Jackson Arnold, and wide receiver Horatio Fields as the seventh player to announce his plan to enter the portal when it opens.

The decision by Lane-Ganus to enter the transfer portal is likely a smart one, as he probably would not have been able to see consistent playing time if he were to remain at Auburn.

The Tigers’ defensive back room, specifically the cornerbacks, are extremely talented, with junior Kayin Lee, sophomore Jay Crawford, and junior Rayshawn Pleasant all expected to return – as for now, of course – after solid seasons in 2025.

And if Strader didn’t believe he would see a desirable amount of playing time in the coming seasons, who is a significantly better player than Lane-Ganus, it’s hard to see a situation in which Lane-Ganus is able to legitimately compete with those top guys in Auburn’s corner room.

Obviously, new head coach Alex Golesh and D.J. Durkin need to work hard to retain them, but as of now, the Tigers’ cornerback room seems solid heading into 2026. Lee, Crawford, Pleasant, and even freshman Blake Woodby all have shown abilities to be elite SEC defenders.

Additionally, Auburn has signed two defensive backs in the incoming class thus far, although neither is a designated corner. Three-star safety Wayne Henry and three-star JUCO transfer safety Shadrick Toodle signed on Wednesday and will suit up for the Tigers next year.

With the new rules set by the NCAA a couple of months ago, the transfer portal will open on Jan. 2, 2026, and close on Jan. 16, 2026. The NCAA also eliminated the spring portal window, meaning there’s only one period for players to enter this offseason. Fans should expect a good amount of similar announcements in the near future, which is fairly normal with a new head coach.