Former 5-Star Saftey Returning to Auburn

The Auburn Tigers are able to hang on to a member of the defense after many others have transferred out

Auburn manages to retain a piece that initially went into the portal | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Auburn Tigers safety Jacoby Mathews has withdrawn his name from the transfer portal and will be returning to The Plains for 2026, via 247Sports’ Christian Clemente on X. Mathews is a former 5-star recruit who originally transferred to the Tigers from Texas A&M. The safety will be a senior for Auburn next season.

Auburn safety Jacoby Mathews has withdrawn his name from the transfer portal and will return to Auburn, @Auburn247 has learned

Portal Tracker: https://t.co/hAxlXZbTmF pic.twitter.com/I9GwerVblM

— Christian Clemente (@CClemente247) January 17, 2026

Mathews appeared in just one game for the Tigers in 2025, their Week 13 game against Mercer. He recorded just 10 total snaps in the game and did not record a tackle. While in the portal, the safety was rated as a three-star prospect by On3’s Rivals, the No. 79 player in the portal at his position.

However, Mathews does have a high prospect pedigree and significant SEC experience. He was a former 5-star recruit via Rivals, the No. 32 player in the nation and No. 1 player in Louisiana. He committed to Texas A&M out of high school and played 10 games for the Aggies as a true freshman, starting three. The playing time only increased as a sophomore, with Mathews playing in 11 games and starting nine. 

Despite that, he left College Station in the spring of 2024, transferring to the junior college level to focus on his academics for a season. Mathews joined Auburn out of the portal before the 2025 season as a high 4-star transfer, choosing to reunite with former defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin, whom he played under while at Texas A&M.

Unfortunately for Mathews, the loaded Auburn safety rotation made it difficult for him to see the field. Sophomore Kaleb Harris took most of the starting minutes at one of the safety spots, and Eric Winters, Jaquez Robinson, Champ Anthony, Kensley Louidor-Faustin, and Sylvester Smith all formed a rotation for other alignments at the position, barring Mathews from finding significant playing time.

All of that group except Robinson and Faustin will return for Auburn in 2026, with Robinson entering the NFL Draft and Faustin transferring to Missouri. Additionally, the Tigers added former South Florida safety Fred Gaskin in the portal, who was a full-time starter for the Bulls in 2025.

So, it’s likely that Mathews will once again be buried in the rotation unless he makes a meaningful step forward in the offseason or impresses the new coaching staff. Though it’s never a bad thing to have depth in the secondary, especially depth that is as athletic and experienced as Mathews. Should Auburn suffer injuries and attrition in the defensive backfield, the Tigers will be in a good position to play the next man up.