If it's a year that ends in a number, the Auburn Tigers have questions about their offensive line play and its role in the program's ability to contend in the shark-infested waters of the SEC. With a stranglehold on top edge rushers and defensive tackles for the 2027 NFL draft cycle, the SEC is a tough place to play without adequate protection. Especially now with a nine-game schedule in 2026 and beyond.
Auburn Undercover's Nathan King stressed that AU has issues, with only three of the five offensive line spots having a clear body in the role. King also stressed that first-year head coach Alex Golesh and OL coach Tyler Hudanick are better equipped to handle that problem with the Tigers' depth.
"There may not be a bigger question than this one for Golesh's first team at Auburn. The good news is that there are plenty of capable bodies, something that has been an issue for a lot of teams in the last decade," King wrote. "Even though he had a couple of bad snaps in the A-Day game, Cole Best was the most consistent of all of the guys in the spring and that wasn't something that was the norm for him. He'a a leader and should be a key for the Tigers up front. Another player that showed up was James Madison transfer Jo Simmons. Playing both tackle spots, he looks like a shoo-in to start at one of those positions.
"Tai Buster played both tackle spots and could also play guard. At this point it would be a surprise if he's not in the starting lineup somewhere. After that it's anyone's guess. Miami transfer Deryc Plazz is absolutely a name to watch at guard, but maybe the biggest question is what happens with Michigan State transfer Stanton Ramil. If he's healthy you would expect him to man one of the tackle spots. If he can't take one of those positions it opens up plenty of possibilities that will likely go well into August before the five is finalized."
Auburn has a secret weapon to overcome poor offensive line play
Auburn has a new offensive coordinator in Joel Gordon, who, in eight seasons as a play-caller/QB coach, has produced a quarterback with 3,000+ passing yards. As On3's Caleb Jones pointed out, only two QBs in history (Dameyune Craig in 1997, Jarrett Stidham in 2017) have ever surpassed 3,000 yards passing in a single season.
That alone feels like a good omen. Then you throw in the fact that Gordon has one of his greatest QBs, Byrum Brown, coming with him after making history on the USF Bulls, and you have hope that the persistent OL problem on the Plains will be muted through great QB play and creative play-calling.
The best way to overcome a strength and size disadvantage is to win with speed, which Golesh and Gordon like to do. Maybe, just maybe, the product won't look so bad this fall with all that in mind.
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