Josh Pate Picks SEC Dark Horse as 2026 College Football Season Approaches

The 2026 SEC is wide open, six new head coaches are in place, and Josh Pate just named his dark horse.

Auburn Tigers kicker Alex McPherson (38) celebrates his 55-yard field goal with head coach Alex Golesh during Auburn Tigers A-Day spring game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday, April 18, 2026. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Six SEC programs enter the 2026 season with a brand-new head coach. Arkansas brought in Ryan Silverfield from Memphis. Florida hired Jon Sumrall from Tulane. Kentucky turned to Will Stein. Lane Kiffin made his controversial move from Ole Miss to LSU, leaving Pete Golding to take over in Oxford. 

But on Sunday, Josh Pate was quick to point to another program he views as a potential dark horse in 2026, the Auburn Tigers, who hired Alex Golesh in November 2025 after letting go of Hugh Freeze. 

"Auburn is the dark horse in the SEC. Similar vibes to Oklahoma State in terms of having your head coaching spot vacated, and what you were looking for, you went the same route. You found yourself a really, really high-caliber G5 head coach in Alex Golesh that was ready for the big time," Pate said. 

"He brought a lot of his guys with him. USF was No. 3 in total offense last year. And the defense at Auburn was already good. It may be better this year than it was last year. They kept D.J. Durkin as defensive coordinator. So, the thing about Auburn was the offense was horrible. And they're going to go from 99th in passing yards per game last year to what under Byrum Brown? How high will they jump?"

"Byrum Brown scalability. His production. That's the only thing in question here. Jeremiah Cobb is a bell cow of a running back. They've got five new offensive linemen ... Auburn has the minimum baseline talent roster where they could surprise some people this year," Pate added. 

Auburn Tigers head coach Alex Golesh talks with his team during practice at Woltosz Football Performance Center in Auburn, Ala. on Thursday, April 16, 2026. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Who is Alex Golesh?

Widely regarded as one of the top offensive minds in college football, Golesh has already changed the vibes in The Plains.

Born in Moscow and raised in Brooklyn and Dublin, Ohio, the 41-year-old built his reputation as Tennessee's offensive coordinator under Josh Heupel in 2021 and 2022, engineering one of the most dramatic turnarounds in college football.

The Vols climbed from No. 108 nationally in total offense before his arrival to No. 7 in 2021 and No. 1 in 2022. In 2022, they were the only offense in the country that averaged over 300 passing yards and 200 rushing yards per game simultaneously. 

Then, he took the job at South Florida and completely rebuilt the program.

Golesh inherited a Bulls program that had produced a horrendous 4-29 record in the three seasons before he arrived. The next three years under Golesh, USF went 23-15, averaging over 35 points and 450 yards per game across his tenure, and in 2025, led the Bulls back to the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2018 with a record of 9-4. He then signed a six-year, $44.25 million deal to come to Auburn. 

As Pate pointed out, Golesh isn't just bringing his scheme over; he's bringing some of his biggest playmakers with him. 13 total players transferred over from USF to Auburn, including 11 on the offensive side of the ball, headlined by tight end Jonathan Echols, running back Nykahi Davenport, wide receiver Keshaun Singleton, and quarterback Byrum Brown.

Auburn Tigers quarterback Byrum Brown (17) warms up before Auburn Tigers A-Day spring game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday, April 18, 2026. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Brown was the star acquisition. He posted 3,158 passing yards and 1,008 rushing yards, along with 42 total touchdowns, in his lone season at USF under Golesh. He was the only player to 13th player in FBS history to go for over 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in a season. How far the offense goes will depend on how quickly he adapts to the jump from the AAC to the SEC.

He won't be alone, though. While Auburn lost its top receiver, Cam Coleman, who transferred to Texas, as well as Eric Singleton Jr. (Florida), and Malcolm Simmons (Texas Tech), they'll have some of Brown's go-to targets at USF. This includes Keshaun Singleton alongside Jeremiah Koger, Chas Nimrod, and Christian Neptune. The Tigers also acquired a flurry of tight ends and offensive linemen, as well as former four-star Notre Dame receiver commit Scrap Richardson.

Golesh will also be getting back Auburn's best offensive weapon from 2025, running back Jeremiah Cobb. Cobb will be returning for his senior year after rushing for 969 yards and five touchdowns on 175 carries (5.6 yards per carry) in 2025. He'll be joined by Davenport and Baylor transfer Bryson Washington, who rushed for over 1,000 yards in 2024. 

On the defensive side, Auburn retained coordinator DJ Durkin, whose defense held opponents to under 100 rushing yards per game last year, the third-best mark in the SEC. All-SEC linebacker Xavier Atkins and Freshman All-SEC linebacker Elijah Melendez are both returning, along with former All-American cornerback Rayshawn Pleasant and edge rusher Jared Smith, a former four-star prospect.

Auburn has endured five straight losing seasons and hasn't won an SEC title since 2013. But if there's one thing Golesh has shown, it's an ability to turn around losing programs quickly.