Alex Golesh shook up the Auburn Tigers' roster with the addition of Troy transfer receiver Tray Taylor on Monday. The Shreveport (LA) native stands at five-foot-eight and is a natural slot receiver, though he figures to be in the mix for special teams opportunities as well.
Taylor played for the Trojans in 2025, Coastal Carolina for two seasons before that, and went the JUCO route at Tyler Junior College in 2022. As a member of the 2022 high school class, Taylor just received extra eligibility along with his classmates. U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney granted an injunction in a filed class action lawsuit (Wisne et al v. NCAA) from members of the class that gave them eligibility for 2026.
Golesh cautioned that there'd be some patience before diving into the portal class, but he clearly saw a need in the slot during fall camp and pounced. He lost the versatile Duke Smith earlier in this offseason for reasons that are still unclear, so the room needed more depth in some form.
That form is Troy's "work ethic guy" from a season ago, in Taylor's words.
Tray Taylor, the self-proclaimed 'work ethic guy'
"I'm a small guy that's been counted out a lot and really came from nothing – just a work ethic guy," Taylor said to describe himself. "Whatever I set my mind to or if there's something I want to chase, I go get it. ... Everything that you're going through or that you want is not going to be as easy as you thought it would be or how people make it seem – you're going to have a different path."
Taylor is humble about his beginnings, coming from a place where 23.5% of residents live below the federal poverty line. That's double the national average. Over 50% of Shreveport households qualify as living in poverty or as asset-limited, working poor.
He's worked for everything he's had. This opportunity to provide a spark in the WR room is one he can't take for granted. Then again, Taylor has never taken a thing for granted in his life. That's how he's risen from the JUCO ranks to the Sun Belt ranks, and now, the SEC.
Alex Golesh brought in the perfect kind of transfer
Just genius on Golesh's part to land Taylor. If there were ever to be a recruit to push the rest of his teammates, it's someone who was never guaranteed to be playing for a program like Auburn. Taylor doesn't have typical size, but he has the other traits that should be motivational fuel for teammates who were given more in life.
For Golesh to bring a hard worker like this with fall camp already in full swing is a major cultural challenge for his locker room. Imagine the scoldings players will receive for being outworked by a new player who doesn't have the same caliber of physical traits.
Golesh is pushing his players with this addition. Beyond that, Golemight've just brought on a difference-maker. He definitely added a great story.
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