ESPN's Cole Cubelic Blasts Auburn Portal Panic, Calls Obsession a 'Loser Mindset'

The Auburn Tigers have lost over 30 players to the transfer portal thus far in this offseason’s transfer portal window, and that may cause concern to some.

Many Auburn fans could be worried about the current state of the roster, considering the talent that was on the roster last year and how much of it the Tigers lost to the portal in the last month or so.

Freshman quarterback Deuce Knight and sophomore wide receiver Cam Coleman are two names in particular that fans wanted to retain for 2026, but it always seemed somewhat inevitable that both Knight and Coleman would leave Auburn for various reasons.

Knight, who committed to Ole Miss on Sunday, likely wants to start in the SEC as a redshirt freshman, while Coleman, who is now a Texas Longhorn, probably wants to play at a school where he can compete for a national title.

However, former Auburn offensive lineman and current ESPN analyst Cole Cubelic expressed a different viewpoint on his morning podcast earlier this week, passionately explaining why losing Knight and Coleman shouldn’t be as significant as some are making it out to be.

“The obsession with attempting to build a team on two individuals that have had a limited time proving themselves and has shown some clown tendencies in doing so is beyond irresponsible, is beyond ignorant, and is just flat out flawed,” Cubelic said on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning. “But then you go out and you wear pink ski masks to be different from everybody else on the team. That's the guy that's going to take the reins and pull the program?”

Cubelic is referencing when Coleman frequently sported a pink ski mask for multiple games this past season, which none of the other players had. He went on to highlight not just off-the-field criticisms, but also success, or lack thereof, on the field.

“We're gonna sit around and cry about a guy who's got less than 100 catches in two years?” Cubelic said of Coleman. “We're gonna sit around and cry about a guy (Knight) that's played in one game? You gotta stop. You gotta stop.”

“No player cripples a program when they leave not a single one, not to the draft, not to the portal, not to Enterprise Rent-A-Car to start a career. None of them cripple a program when they leave. And if your mindset is of so, that is a loser brain. That is a loser take,” Cubelic said. “That is a loser mindset to think, ‘Oh, he's leaving. We can't win.’ You can't think that way.”

To Cubelic’s point, Coleman recorded just 93 receptions in his two seasons on the Plains, notching 13 touchdowns and 1,306 yards in 22 total games. And to put his statistics in perspective, USF transfer Keshaun Singleton, likely Auburn’s top receiver in 2026, nearly matched Coleman’s numbers with fewer receptions and less game action.

Singleton also spent two years with the Bulls, but he posted 1,285 yards and 11 touchdowns on 76 receptions in just 18 games – he played in six games as a freshman in 2024. Of course, Singleton had Byrum Brown tossing him the rock, while Coleman didn’t exactly have consistent quarterback play, but the comparison is interesting.

“And this obsession with these two guys that they've propped up any portion of the program. What games did Auburn win because of two said players?” Cubelic asked.

“Mercer,” his co-host answered tongue in cheek, referring to Knight’s historic six-touchdown showing in Auburn’s win over the Bears last season.

“Mercer, congratulations,” Cubelic responded. “What FBS games did Auburn win because of the two said players? Vanderbilt, when Cam Coleman went off with all the one-handed catches?”

Cubelic then said something most people wouldn’t have expected, referencing a current Alabama receiver and a couple former Auburn receivers.

“Give me 20 Germie Bernards before one Cam Coleman,” Cubelic claimed. “Sorry, I know that hurts people's feelings. I know I'm probably really mean for saying that. You know what? I'll go use another Auburn example. Give me 1000 Courtney Taylors before one Cam Coleman. Hell, I’ll take Duke Williams before I'll take him.”

Courtney Taylor played for the Tigers in the early 2000s, and Duke Williams suited up in the orange and blue in 2014 and 2015. Neither were exactly spectacular, but they were reliable options for teams that won football games.

For Auburn fans, it’s important that despite the abundance of talent Hugh Freeze and company brought in the past few years, the program hasn’t seen a winning season since 2020. Furthermore, during its time with Coleman on the roster, Auburn won just 10 combined games in two campaigns.

So, although it may hurt to see a former five-star hit the exits, change was needed. Fans asked for a different approach, a different culture, a different everything – and that’s what they are getting. Different isn’t always a bad thing. In fact, it actually may be what’s needed to propel Auburn back into the national spotlight.