We all understand how much weight Alex Golesh has on his shoulders during his first season with the Auburn Tigers. Carrying the aggregate disappointment of the Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze eras, it goes without saying that Golesh is under pressure. Every transfer was his choice. Many of the coaches he'll be working with were his hires.
Who else is under the gun during a 2026 season on the Plains that could truthfully go either way? Volatility could send this thing spiraling south or soaring in the other direction. These three players and two coaches will have a major hand in deciding that:
Quarterback Byrum Brown
This one is almost as obvious as Golesh. Former USF Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown is an intended win-now option for Golesh, and the familiarity with offensive coordinator Joel Gordon from their time in Tampa together will probably raise expectations higher than they should be in 2026.
Brown's recent controversy over some errant throws at Elite 11 drills, which was overblown given the amount of available footage showing that he made plenty of positive plays, now has many around the SEC and elsewhere thinking his unorthodox throwing motion won't translate to increased competition. A lot of that is disrespect for the American Conference, but there's legitimate concern about Brown adjusting to the speed and dominance of SEC edge-rushers.
Defensive coordinator DJ Durkin
DJ Durkin has had an excellent defense for two years straight at AU. It'd be a shame to see him not work with Golesh. That'd probably make 2026 the last year Durkin is at the helm of a vintage, tough Tigers defense. He's earned a return to head coaching based on the last two seasons.
We know there will be some peaks and valleys with the offense, but Durkin is expected to maintain a dominant run defense. If he doesn't, it could be very noticeable. God forbid it costs Auburn any football games...
Running back Jeremiah Cobb
Something that wouldn't sit well with Tiger fans would be Jeremiah Cobb having a reduced role in the backfield. Even if the team was winning en masse, with Baylor Bears transfer running back Bryson Washington dominating between the guards.
Cobb has pressure to fend off Washington for the RB1 role, but on a personal note, he has one more chance to nab a winning record on the Plains. Harsin recruited him, Freeze got a decent return, and now Golesh has the chance to make or break Cobb's NFL chances.
Offensive line coach Tyler Hudanick
Just as fans are disappointed with the coaching performance since 2020, the offensive line play being underwhelming spans back to the days of Gus Malzahn, Bo Nix, and Tank Bigsby. Back then, the OL contributed to Nix getting frequently sacked and eventually injured, and caused Bigsby to become one of the all-time yards-after-contact warriors East Central Alabama has ever seen.
Tyler Hudanick has a responsibility to get a fresh group of transfers, a few coming with him from USF like center Cole Best and guard Cole Skinner, together in every projected starter's first year with the Tigers.
Linebacker Xavier Atkins
The green-dot helmet-wearing Xavier Atkins comes back this fall with most pointing out how surprisingly good he was during his first season at Auburn in 2025 after transferring from Brian Kelly's LSU Tigers.
After amassing 84 total tackles, 17 TFLs, and nine sacks, everyone is expecting Atkins to once again be the centerpiece of a brilliant Tigers defense. There's no reason to doubt he won't, but the pressure is still on overdrive to maintain that aforementioned dominant run defense.
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