Auburn Signs USF Starting Center Out of Transfer Portal

The Auburn Tigers made a major addition to its offensive line on Monday.

The majority of Auburn's 2026 transfer class comes from USF. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers have made a significant addition to its offensive line on Monday, signing USF starting center Cole Best out of the NCAA Transfer Portal. Best started 10 games for the Bulls last season and is ranked as the No. 11 interior lineman in the portal by On3.

He is a rising sixth-year senior after a pair of redshirt seasons in 2021 and 2022 with one year of eligibility remaining,

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Welcome 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄, @ColeBest72!🦅 pic.twitter.com/GEuK3FFfRH

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) January 13, 2026

Best (6-4, 315 pounds) started the last 22 games for the Bulls, including the last 20 at center and two more at left guard. His best season came in 2025 with a career-high 71 offensive grade and 67.9 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus. His 77 pass-blocking grade from PFF in 2025 was the second highest of his career and second highest on the team.

Best provides an immediate starter at center for Auburn with veteran Connor Lew declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft. Lew is rated as the No. 1 center and No. 3 overall interior lineman in Mel Kiper's positional rankings for this year's draft prospects.

Auburn also returns Lew's backup, Kail Ellis, keeping depth intact at the position.

Best is now the fourth incoming transfer for the Tigers on the offensive line, joining former USF teammate Cole Skinner, James Madison transfer tackle Joseph Simmons and Michigan State transfer Stanton Ramil.

He is also one of 13 former Bulls to follow new head coach Alex Golesh to Auburn. In addition to Best and Skinner, the Tigers have added quarterbacks Byrum Brown and Locklan Hewlett; receivers Christian Neptune, Kory Pettigrew, Jeremiah Koger, Chas Nimrod and Keshaun Singleton; tight end Jonathan Echols; and defensive backs Gavin Jenkins and Fred Gaskin III.

While the Tigers have added 26 players from the transfer portal in addition to the 20-signee high school and JUCO recruiting class, Auburn is still expected to be an active shopper until the portal closes as Golesh flips the roster for his first season on the Plains.