Three Auburn Offensive Players to Watch Against Southern Mississippi

The Auburn Tigers look to kick off the home slate of their season with a win agaisnt a non-conference opponent.

Auburn Tigers running back Jeremiah Cobb (23) celebrates with teammates after a touchdown run against the Baylor Bears in the second quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Auburn Tigers are 1-0 after a tight win over the Baylor Bears this past weekend, but they have spent this week preparing for their upcoming matchup against the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles. The Tigers are heavy favorites in this one, so Tiger fans could see some offensive fireworks this weekend from a few key players.

Especially after a weaker offensive showing this past weekend, the Tigers are due for a big-time offensive performance this week as they continue to figure out what will work for them in the later stages of the season. Which players are worth keeping an eye on? Let’s break it down.

Byrum Brown - Quarterback

Auburn Tigers quarterback Byrum Brown (17) scrambles as Auburn Tigers take on Baylor Bears in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. Auburn Tigers defeated Baylor Bears 17-16. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

This one will go without saying just about every week, but especially after a tough showing last week, Brown is almost certainly looking to make a good first impression in his home stadium for the year. Three interceptions and barely any rushing yards marked a highly unusual performance for Brown, and he’ll look to turn things around this week.

Brown has all the talent and more to put on a show this weekend, as he finished second in total touchdown production last season, only behind the eventual Heisman winner, Fernando Mendoza. He’s still looking for a premier game in the orange and blue, and a big-time performance against Southern Miss should get him moving back in the right direction.

Jeremiah Cobb - Running Back

Auburn Tigers running back Jeremiah Cobb (23) breaks free for a rushing touchdown as Auburn Tigers take on Baylor Bears in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026. Auburn Tigers lead Baylor Bears 10-7 at halftime. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Like Brown, Cobb had quite a quiet performance against Baylor; although he rushed for a touchdown and laid down a top-level block on Brown’s game-winning touchdown rush, he only rushed for 53 yards over the course of the game, which would have been among his worst performances last season.

Southern Miss’ rushing defense is not nearly as strong as that of the Bears, though, so Cobb should have quite a bit more room to work with this weekend. Additionally, the offensive line is continuing to improve, which will make his life quite a bit easier. Like Brown, a strong performance this weekend from Cobb could very easily get the senior moving in the right direction ahead of the Florida game.

Chas Nimrod - Wide Receiver

Auburn Tigers wide receiver Chas Nimrod (5) runs after a catch against the Baylor Bears in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Byrum Brown forecasted Nimrod to break over 1,000 receiving yards this season, but only threw the ball to him four times throughout the Baylor game. Nimrod made the most of those catches, totaling 41 yards for an average of 10.3 yards per reception, but he’ll need more if he wants to hit Brown’s projection.

Games like the Southern Miss matchup are the ones where we are most likely to see Nimrod flourish, and Brown will almost certainly be looking for him at an increased rate, particularly against a weaker Golden Eagles secondary. If he has a marquee game this weekend, we could see SEC teams game-planning to stop him before long.

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