There are a lot of newcomers on the Auburn football team this season, and several position groups had to be rebuilt from the ground up after players hit the transfer portal.
The tight end position group is one that had to be almost completely rebuilt, and it was a unit that struggled mightily for the Tigers last year under Hugh Freeze. Brandon Frazier was not at full capacity while dealing with injuries, and fans have certainly not forgotten Preston Howard's uncanny ability to drop any pass sent his way.
According to head coach Alex Golesh, the tight end group is one to be excited about heading into the fall.
"They're what gives us the multiplicity on offense that I think will allow us to take a huge step," Golesh said, per Auburn 247. "They're such unique skill sets and they're so different. Like, I get a little bit giddy thinking about how many different things you can do with those guys between packages and then what they can do for you on third down and in the red zone."
This year, Auburn has brought in several transfers, headlined by former North Carolina and Texas A&M transfer Jake Johnson, who brings a wealth of experience and a strong veteran presence to the group. There is also former USF tight end Jonathan Echols, who caught three touchdowns from Byrum Brown last year in Tampa and already has a connection with the quarterback.
"You've got some veteran-ness there with Jake [Johnson], Arlis [Boardingham]," Golesh said. "You've got some youth, even though Jonathan Echols has played a ton of football he's still young, and he's never gone through a spring, which is unique. So we're force-feeding him, we're making him go be really physical and he's answered the bell."
Golesh and his offensive coordinator Joel Gordon have talked about how important the tight end group is due to their versatility on the offense, and the pair believe that the tight ends could be a major factor when it comes to moving the ball down the field.
"So I think if that group can stay healthy it will allow us to be uniquely different on offense, which gets me excited," Golesh said.
The tight ends and the rest of the Auburn Tigers will make their 2026 debut on September 5 in the Aflac Kickoff Game in Atlanta agains the Baylor Bears in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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