USA Today Predicts Auburn Football to Have Disappointing 2026 Season

If the Auburn Tigers ultimately return to form, it's not expected to happen this upcoming season

Auburn isn't predicted to have a rocketing start to the Golesh era | Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

The big question surrounding the Auburn Tigers, at this point, is simple: Will Alex Golesh be an improvement over Hugh Freeze, who went 5-7 in both of his seasons with the Tigers? Many seem to think that the Tigers are due for a big bounce-back year, but Paul Myerberg of USA Today is not convinced, at least after spring practice.

In an article ranking each SEC team, Myerberg predicted Auburn to have yet another 5-7 year in Alex Golesh’s first season, and ranked the Tigers 13th out of 16 total teams. That is not to say that he believes this is the only possible reality, though.

“Auburn’s offense could hit the ground running,” Myerberg wrote. “New coach Alex Golesh brought along former South Florida quarterback Byrum Brown and four of the Bulls’ top five receivers from last season. Immediate dividends could lift the Tigers to their first winning season since 2020.”

In fairness to Golesh, he and the Tigers have brought in much more talent than just a quarterback and some receivers, especially on the offensive front. In fact, Golesh recruited to the point where the only expected returning starter from last year’s team is senior running back Jeremiah Cobb, who leads an Auburn running back room that now boasts more depth than ever.

Additionally, Golesh has reloaded the entire offensive line after five of six 2025 Tiger offensive linemen found NFL homes, while the sixth, Xavier Chaplin, transferred to FSU. In response, Golesh brought in key pieces like Cole Skinner, Deryc Plazz and Kenneth McManus to bolster his new unit.

Likely, most negative speculation is coming mainly from Byrum Brown’s performance during A-Day, where he admittedly played lackluster at best. However, a poor spring game is far from an absolute indicator of a losing season. Take, for example, Cam Newton, who went three-of-eight for 68 yards in his lone Auburn spring game in 2010. I doubt I need to tell you what happened in the season that followed.

So, sure, Auburn could get off to a slow start offensively, but unlike last year’s squad, Golesh’s program boasts reliability, not massive star power. Led by a dominant rushing attack that can take the form of Byrum Brown’s dual-threat ability or any of Auburn’s four top-level running backs, and a few reliable receivers to boot, the Tigers’ offense is set for, at the very least, a bowl-eligible season.

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