Alex Golesh is looking for leadership from his running back room, and the first-year Auburn coach has put some pressure on his guys to take up that responsibility, especially veteran Jeremiah Cobb.
The senior became the go-to back last season after an injury to Damari Alston, rushing for 969 yards and five touchdowns on 175 rushing attempts, so the talent and skill are there. Now, his new head coach is challenging him to step up his role as a veteran and experienced player in the backfield.
“So Jeremiah, the challenge for him has been to step up as a leader offensively,” Golesh said. “He's had moments. It's when he gets tired and things ain't going real good. He's still trying to find that voice a little bit. And I would tell you that as a team, if we're missing anything, it's that. We don't have enough true leadership in there.”
Alex Golesh looking for more leadership from running backs
Sound familiar? There didn’t seem to be much leadership on offense last season as the Tigers massively struggled in Hugh Freeze’s third season before he was ultimately fired following an embarrassing 10-3 home loss to Kentucky in November. Alston, who was the starting running back to begin the season, ended up leaving the team halfway through, opting to take a redshirt. The quarterback situation with Jackson Arnold was up in the air before he was benched for Ashton Daniels.
With a new head coach and staff, plus a plethora of new players coming in, including starting quarterback Byrum Brown, Auburn needs someone to be that guy in the running back room who isn’t afraid to speak out.
Can Cobb be that guy? Golesh hopes, but if not, he will find someone who will be.
“We don't have enough true leadership in there,” he said. "And guys are trying to find their way. I'm trying to encourage it. For us to take another step, that's what's got to happen. And we're not there yet. And we will.”
Brown has taken his leadership role as the starting quarterback seriously, stepping into it as soon as he arrived on campus. Now a senior, Cobb needs to either step up or step out, as Bryson Washington, Nykahi Davenport and Omar Mabson are waiting in the wings.
"We need them to, for us to go to where we got to go because we will win," Golesh said. "And it's just a matter of these guys figuring out that it's on them to go win.
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