Incoming, Outgoing Auburn Tigers Headline Most Impactful Transfer List

The Auburn Tigers had their share of incoming and outgoing top talent during the latest transfer cycle

There's a lot of talent coming and going from Auburn | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

In the wake of Hugh Freeze’s firing and Alex Golesh’s subsequent hiring, the Auburn Tigers were hit historically hard by the NCAA Transfer Portal. The Tigers lost nearly 40 players to other teams in this past offseason, including some of the highlight names on their roster. With such significant losses, though, comes a need to find new talent, and Golesh and company have found that in spades.

Recently, On3’s J.D. PicKell released his list of what he believed were the most impactful transfers of the 2026 Transfer Portal window, and both a former and new Tiger made his list.

Top 10 most IMPACTFUL transfers

Full explanation: https://t.co/Ze0LWKbVKz pic.twitter.com/lSbzBDtraj

— J.D. PicKell (@jdpickell) February 17, 2026

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Cam Coleman has been the biggest name on the Plains since he came to Auburn in 2024. Over two years in Auburn, Coleman managed to accumulate over 1,300 total receiving yards as well as 13 receiving touchdowns, including a litany of highlight catches.

With the firing of Freeze, Coleman, now the sixth-ranked player in the Transfer Portal, departed for Texas. PicKell ranked Coleman’s move as the fourth-most impactful transfer of the 2026 portal.

Not only did the Tigers lose Coleman, though, they also lost all of their quarterbacks, with Jackson Arnold, Ashton Daniels and Deuce Knight all departing for other schools. However, Golesh seems to have found his guy in Byrum Brown, who transferred from USF, following his former coach.

Brown has been one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in recent memory, boasting over 3,000 yards passing and over 1,000 yards rushing in 2025, and as such, PicKell ranks him as the sixth-most impactful transfer of the 2026 window.

Needless to say, it has been a wild portal window for the Auburn Tigers, but they seem to have positioned themselves well for Golesh’s inaugural season. Sure, Cam Coleman, who is clearly one of the more talented receivers in football, departed from the program along with two other members of the “Freeze Four,” but Golesh has reloaded his receiving room quite impressively.

The impact of Byrum Brown on the Auburn Tigers has yet to be seen, but it is safe to assume the Tigers’ offense will look quite different under both Brown and new offensive coordinator Joel Gordon in 2026. 

Gordon’s already described Brown as “the best running quarterback I have ever seen,” and the Tigers have signed several top running backs, so it seems like with Coleman’s departure and Brown’s acquisition, the Tigers will pivot to a much more run-heavy offense in 2026.