Auburn Tigers’ Running Back Room Rated Surprisingly Low in On SI Rankings

In an era where quite a bit is uncertain for the Auburn Tigers, new head coach Alex Golesh has been clear on one major quality of their future: running the ball.

He has built a backfield to match, consisting of some of the best backs in the SEC, which, along with Byrum Brown’s complementary rushing ability, should bode well for the future of the Tigers’ ground game.

Not everyone is as confident in the future of the Tigers’ rushing attack, though, as On SI’s Carter Long recently ranked every SEC running back room, and the Tigers fell all the way down to No. 7.

“Jeremiah Cobb spearheads a group that features transfers Bryson Washington, who already has two extremely productive seasons at a power four level under his belt and Nykahi Davenport, who was similarly productive with new Auburn head coach Alex Golesh's USF Bulls squad last season,” he wrote. “Regardless of who is taking the handoffs, though Cobb should see the lion's share, their life will be made easier playing next to the dynamic Byrum Brown.”

Truthfully, I believe this ranking is a smidge too low, as ranked above the Tigers is Florida, which has a great starter in Jadan Baugh but no real depth, as well as Tennessee, which, like Florida, has a high-output starter in Desean Bishop and weaker depth than the Tigers.

What I believe makes Auburn’s running back room, at the very least, a top-five core in the country is the sheer depth of the roster. Sure, Jeremiah Cobb did not turn in a 1,000-yard season last year like Baugh or Bishop, but he also did not play the entire season or even get a lion’s share of production, especially in a Hugh Freeze offense that seemingly refused to run the ball for a large part of each game. Simply, Cobb’s rushing totals are lower, but so were his chances compared to players like Baugh and Bishop.

However, two major qualities of Auburn’s offense are changing ahead of 2026, and they should bode well for the future of Auburn’s rushing attack. For one, the Tigers have picked up two quality backups in Bryson Washington and Nykahi Davenport while keeping other depth pieces like Omar Mabson, which means that Auburn will likely be relying on no single player to carry the brunt of the load.

The ability to keep fresh, highly-talented legs in the game, even if that means just rotating Washington and Cobb (or potentially utilizing both on some plays), creates an advantage for Auburn’s running back room that teams like Tennessee and Florida simply do not have.

Second, Alex Golesh has been quite vocal about how he expects his offense to run in 2026, and it boils down to four words that Auburn fans will almost certainly be ecstatic to hear: Run the damn ball. As such, Cobb and Washington will get their opportunities, much more so than they would in a Freeze-led offense, to show why they could each be a top-five back in the SEC.

The only thing that could potentially slow this group of backs down is shaky offensive line play, but Golesh has been clear that his trenches have stepped up their game over recent months, even if there is still work to be done.

So, with all things said, though Auburn’s RB1, Jeremiah Cobb, may not have the counting stats of his competition, his lack of opportunity in a weak Hugh Freeze-led offense should turn around this season under Alex Golesh. Even granting that Florida and Tennessee have better RB1’s, though, Auburn’s useable depth is simply too strong to ignore.

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