Former Auburn Running Back Damari Alston Signs with AAC School

Alston's dismissal from the Auburn Tigers netted him an extra year of eligibility he can bring to his new school

The former Auburn running back found a new home in flyover country | John Reed-Imagn Images

As the transfer portal window drags on, the Auburn Tigers have been quite busy. New Auburn head coach Alex Golesh has lost over 30 players to the portal, but one running back in particular was never in the picture for him: Damari Alston, who has just signed with the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

Welcome home, @DamariAlston ✍️#TulsaPortalHouse pic.twitter.com/TWT3CIGD4v

— Tulsa Football (@TulsaFootball) January 13, 2026

Alston made headlines with the Auburn Tigers back in October, when he was dismissed from the team after the Tigers got off to a shaky 0-3 start in SEC play. Freeze said Alston, who was a captain on the team, "failed to meet the expectations and standard of our program," but did not go into further details.

Since Alston played just four games last season after not redshirting in any of his previous three seasons, Alston will save a year of eligibility as he heads to Oklahoma to play for the Tulsa Golden Hurricane.

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Alston earned himself a starting spot with the Tigers as Jarquez Hunter went to the NFL Draft, but it didn’t last long. Alston played just four games in 2025, missed two additional games with an injury and was benched for Jeremiah Cobb after the Tigers’ shaky start. In those four games, Alston carried the ball 32 times for just 128 yards and a lone touchdown.

As a prospect, Alston was a three-star, and he managed to keep that designation as a transfer despite limited playing time at Auburn.

Tulsa has struggled immensely in recent years, posting a 4-8 overall record and a 1-7 mark in the American Athletic Conference in 2025. This move doesn’t exactly seem like a step forward for Alston in his final year of eligibility, but with Dominic Richardson wrapping up his eligibility, Alston is poised to at least be the starting running back for the Golden Hurricane.