Auburn Tigers offensive lineman Tai Buster, brought in by Hugh Freeze and Jake Thornton as a 3-star recruit in the 2025 class, may go from a reserve to a critical role as the first starting blindside tackle of the Alex Golesh era.
AL.com's Peter Rauterkus provided an update in the wake of Michigan State Spartans transfer Stanton Ramil's injury, saying, "Buster is still in the mix for a bigger role this season, receiving first team reps at left tackle during spring practice. But with all the new players around him and a new staff evaluating them, competition is stiff ... (Buster's speed and hands) are good traits for a young tackle to have, and they’ve helped Buster insert himself into the competition for a starting tackle job. There’s still a long way to go before those decisions get made, but Buster is one of a few young players trending upward for Auburn this spring."
James Madison Dukes transfer Jo Simmons is also in the mix, though a move to right tackle is starting to look like his likeliest fate. Buster is proving that the Tigers didn't lose all of the talent accumulated from Freeze's strong recruiting run that didn't just provide results.
Instead, Alex Golesh's arrival is like in 2020 when Gus Malzahn was handing off a decent talent base to his successor, but this time, the replacement actually brought his own talent and a strong culture to the table instead of what the Plains got with Bryan Harsin. Buster is a strong holdover, and he can be an even stronger starter if his development from being dominated by Keyron Crawford to being a roadblock progresses in the right direction.
Tai Buster could put himself on the map by successfully protecting Byrum Brown
Buster could emerge very quickly by successfully thwarting opposing SEC edge rushers and giving Byrum Brown a clean slate. Of course, Ramil's return could provide a season-defining battle, but getting these early reps in is critical to becoming the established LT1.
Brown knows Golesh and Joel Gordon's playbook to a tee, and if Buster could get up to speed and the USF Bulls transfer delivers fireworks on the biggest stage, the Tigers may just see a new star emerge.
At worst, it seems like Buster is tabbed for reps at the most important position on the line, beating out Simmons and being, at worst, a close-behind backup to Ramil. That's a good place to be this early into your second spring.