Why Auburn’s RB Room Is Among The Best in the Country, According to This Analyst

The Auburn Tigers are making it an emphasis to get the ground game going early in 2026, and there's a belief it could be one of the best in the country.

Auburn's running back room will be the deciding factor for how high the Tigers' floor can be in the SEC. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Auburn Tigers’ offensive identity for 2026 has not exactly been a secret throughout fall camp, as from his very first press conference as an Auburn Tiger, Alex Golesh made it clear that the Tigers would be running the ball first and foremost this season.

However, to execute that playstyle at a high level this season, the Tigers need some top-tier backs, and Phil Steele believes that the Tigers have one of the strongest groups in the country.

Ranking the CFB RB rooms for 2026, per @philsteele042

1. Mizzou
2. Texas
3. Louisville
4. Miami
5. Florida
6. Georgia
7. Texas Tech
8. Oregon
9. USC
10. Florida St.
11. Ohio St.
12. Boise St.
13. Michigan
14. Auburn
15. Ole Miss pic.twitter.com/Kl79arNY1u

— SleeperCFB (@SleeperCFB) August 24, 2026

In fact, in his latest rankings, Steele ranks the Tigers as having the 14th-best running back room in the country, and that does not even include the top Tiger rusher from 2025: Byrum Brown, who is the lone player on the Tigers’ roster this season to rush for over 1,000 yards last season.

Even without Brown, though, the Tigers have one of the best rushing cores in the country. Jeremiah Cobb, a senior Auburn returner who rushed for 969 yards and five touchdowns last season, headlines the group, but there is so much depth in this group that, at the time of this article, it is still unclear as to who will even be the Tigers’ RB2.

At the start of the offseason, Bryson Washington was the popular pick to be the Tigers’ RB2 after transferring in from Baylor, where he rushed for 788 yards and six touchdowns on a limited season in 2025. However, injury and fitness concerns have made Washington’s status on the depth chart unclear, though he has recently been trending in the right direction.

Washington’s potential to be the Tigers’ RB2 could be put in even further jeopardy by Omar Mabson, a sophomore who has yet to record a significant snap count with the Tigers, though he has shown throughout the offseason that he possesses the traits to be a top-level back, even if he ends up being edged out by Washington and his experience.

Of course, in a Golesh offense in 2026, there is a piece from USF, and Nykahi Davenport, a fellow sophomore, is looking to translate his production to the Plains after a true freshman year as the Bulls’ RB1. In that season, Davenport rushed for 612 yards and seven touchdowns, so he is certainly a depth threat for a veteran Auburn running back room.

Additionally, the Tigers have Troy transfer Tae Meadows, a senior, along with Alvin Henderson, a sophomore, waiting in the wings for their opportunities, though it is quite unlikely that either of these rushers will contend for a starting role this season.

The only major question mark around Auburn’s running backs, in fact, has nothing to do with the running backs themselves, as the offensive line could either bolster or severely inhibit the group, depending on how the unit comes together down the stretch.

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