What Will Auburn’s Running Back Depth Look Like Against Baylor?

Alex Golesh has been clear since his very first press conference as the head coach of the Auburn Tigers–the Tigers, under him, will be running the ball. A lot.

Golesh has even gone as far as to let the Auburn faithful in on how exactly he is planning to run his unit, with RB1 and RB2 rotating on drives or situations at the coaches’ discretion, while RB3 will mix in a few reps as needed.

However, to this day, we still are not exactly sure who will be filling the roles of RB2 and RB3, though we do now officially know that senior Auburn returner Jeremiah Cobb, who led the Tigers in rushing last season, will retain the role of RB1 for the Tigers’ season-opener against Baylor.

Cobb rushed for just under 1,000 yards last season on an average of 5.5 yards per carry, scoring just five touchdowns as his red zone production was limited under Hugh Freeze’s direction. Cobb projects to be a top-level back in 2026 and, particularly against a weakened Baylor front, should have a field day on Saturday.

The battle for RB2, though, has been an interesting one, as at the start of the offseason, Bryson Washington seemed like a shoo-in for the spot, but concerns, particularly about his physical condition after a string of injuries, may keep him limited to the RB3 spot, or even below.

Washington, a junior, is certainly an interesting asset for the Tigers in a matchup against Baylor, particularly because, well, he was a Baylor Bear just last season. For the first two years of his career, he worked against Baylor’s defense, but Baylor has a new look on defense under new coordinator Joe Klanderman, so much will likely be different in Washington’s homecoming matchup.

Battling Washington for the RB2 spot is Auburn sophomore returner Omar Mabson, who seems to be trending for the spot ahead of the Baylor matchup after a series of incredibly strong showings in fall and spring camp. Mabson, an Auburn High School graduate, saw little action in 2025, but he is clearly ready to go for 2026 and may be splitting reps with Cobb once the time comes.

The Tigers will, of course, have Byrum Brown in the saddle to complement their rushing attack, which should provide enough variability to keep the defense on its heels. Auburn will likely live and die by the rushing attack, so having these three strong backs to run their offense through should bode well for their season this year.

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