Five Must-Keep Players for New Auburn Football Head Coach Alex Golesh

The Auburn Tigers new head coach has talent waiting for him, in theory, on the Plains, but he needs to keep them from choosig the portal

Alex Golesh has the talent ready to go if he can keep it | John Reed-Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers announced on Sunday, following the Iron Bowl, that USF head coach Alex Golesh was officially set to take over. It’ll be his first year as the head coach of a Power Four program, but he has previous SEC coaching experience. Interim Auburn head coach DJ Durkin is expected to return to the role of full-time defensive coordinator.

Golesh has made a habit of putting together talented rosters, and Auburn’s 2025 roster leaves him with a lot of pieces to work with, but only if he can keep them. Here’s a look at five players that Golesh should certainly want to keep if he’s to hit the ground running at Auburn.

Cam Coleman, Wide Receiver

Despite his game-breaking fumble in the Alabama game on Saturday, the rising junior has plenty to offer the program. Former head coach Hugh Freeze’s top recruit, Cam Coleman, has been sensational in an Auburn uniform over the past couple of years.

In 2025, Coleman accounted for 725 yards and five touchdowns, nearly all of which were incredible highlight catches that few others in the league could even dream of. 

Talk has already begun for Coleman potentially transferring to Georgia, Alabama or even Ohio State, so Golesh will need to work overtime to ensure one of his top offensive talents stays on the Plains. 

Deuce Knight, Quarterback

Deuce Knight’s not set to start next year since Ashton Daniels retained his eligibility, but he’s proven against Mercer that he is indeed the future of this program, and any head coach would be wise to keep him.

Golesh has made quarterback development a hallmark of his coaching style, with names like Brock Purdy, Hendon Hooker and Joe Milton III all now in the NFL after learning under Golesh. Even at USF, Byrum Brown was a top-10 quarterback in the country by stats this season.

Eric Singleton, Jr., Wide Receiver

Last year’s No. 1 receiver in the transfer portal, Eric Singleton, Jr., had a down year in his first season on the Plains despite being the Tigers’ second-leading receiver. He only put up 534 yards, which, when contrasted with the around 700 per season he averaged at Georgia Tech, doesn’t appear to bode well for his future with the Tigers.

Though Singleton’s total yardage was down this year, he’s still getting the level of production he’s become accustomed to. Singleton caught 58 passes in his first year on the Plains, two more than he caught in his best year at Georgia Tech, so he’s not seen a dip in production even if the yardage has slipped a bit.

Singleton was one of the most highly sought-after players in the portal last year, as the No. 1 receiver and No. 5 player in the portal overall, so he was a huge pickup for Hugh Freeze’s Tigers. He could easily be a top player in the portal once again this year, and schools across the country will likely be clamoring for him like they were last year. He’s taken advantage of this fact and transferred before; it’s safe to say he’ll do it again if the grass looks greener elsewhere.

Xavier Atkins, Linebacker

Far and away the Tigers’ best defensive player, the rising junior LSU transfer has proven to be a crucial part of a dominant Tiger defense. Under DJ Durkin, Xavier Atkins accounted for 84 total tackles, 17 more than the second-best Tiger, 60 solo tackles, 13 more than the second-best and nine total sacks, four more than the Tigers’ second-best.

Atkins also leads the Tigers in turnovers forced, including an interception and two forced fumbles. 

Thankfully for Golesh, most of the defense seems to be bought in on Durkin, who’s expected to stay as the Tigers’ full-time defensive coordinator. This likely means Atkins will stay on the Plains unless Golesh does something foolish. 

Robert Woodyard, Jr., Linebacker

Robert Woodyard Jr. is, by almost every stat, the best defensive player for the Tigers not named Xavier Atkins. If you remove Atkins’ (admittedly insane) stats from the equation, Woodyard would be the best Tiger defender, and would likely be up for awards in the same way Atkins is.

It’s a testament to how good this Tiger defense is that its second-best player still put up 67 total tackles, 47 solo tackles, and two sacks from the linebacker position. Similar to Atkins, Woodyard seems bought into Durkin, so unless Golesh decides Durkin’s not the man for the job, Woodyard should be safe for next year.

By rule, the new head coach's transfer portal window opens in five days, so Alex Golesh will surely have his work cut out for him in his first few days as an Auburn Tiger. If he’s able to make the right moves, he should have no problem retaining most, if not all, of these crucial players.