One Major Reason Auburn and Baylor Are Not All That Different in 2026

The Auburn Tigers are set to square off with the Baylor Bears this Saturday in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and though many believe it to be a matchup between two completely different teams, the two programs are actually in quite a similar spot, at least as it pertains to their setup ahead of Week 1, particularly on offense.

Auburn fans will remember the great ‘Freeze Out’ that followed Hugh Freeze’s firing, in which many players, including three of the ‘Freeze Four,’ departed from the program in search of greener pastures. New head coach Alex Golesh has since had to work hard to set up a new wide receiver core, but it is almost entirely different from last year’s setup.

Similarly, Baylor lost many of their top receivers this past offseason, though the vast majority departed for the NFL, not for the transfer portal. Of those, a few key names that stand out are Josh Cameron, who graduated and was drafted in the sixth round, Kole Wilson, who went undrafted but was signed by the Cleveland Browns and Kobe Prentice, who was undrafted and is currently an unsigned free agent.

So, like the Tigers, Baylor has been forced to rebuild its receiver room, largely from the transfer portal, though there are a few young names that are stepping up early in the season. The Bears are led by Colorado State transfer Louis Brown IV, a fifth-year senior who caught six passes for 79 yards and a touchdown last season.

Additionally, 5-foot-9 slot receiver Gavin Freeman, who transferred to Baylor after two seasons at Oklahoma and two seasons at Oklahoma State, will also look for some targets against a strong Auburn slot defense. There is some returning talent in the room, too, as Jadon Porter, a former three-star recruit, will suit up for the Bears in his junior campaign after hauling in nine passes for 85 yards and a touchdown last season.

On Auburn’s side, Cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons, Perry Thompson, Eric Singleton and more have all departed to the transfer portal, and Golesh reloaded his room with quite a few USF transfers. For starters, USF’s two leading receivers last season, Keshaun Singleton and Jeremiah Koger, will suit up for the Tigers this season.

Singleton, in 2025, hauled in 50 passes for 877 yards and eight touchdowns, while Koger trailed behind with 38 receptions for 597 yards and another eight touchdowns, so Golesh has found some proven production for his program this season.

Additionally, the Tigers also now have Chas Nimrod, whom Byrum Brown forecasted to break 1,000 yards this season, as well as true freshman DeShawn Spencer, who may not see as much time as the rest of the group but was dazzling in his spring game performance.

So, both Auburn and Baylor are relying on almost entirely new units for their receiving game this year–not to mention the fact that both will also have new quarterbacks–which could turn Saturday’s matchup into a pass-heavy game, but more likely, both teams will power their offenses through the rushing attack.

Enjoy our content? Make AuburnOnSI a preferred source to see more stories from us on Google by clicking here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google