The Auburn Tigers got their first win of the 2026 season last weekend against the Baylor Bears in Atlanta, and although the Tigers will be facing a lower-level team this weekend, there is plenty of significance to the game as Auburn's home opener.
For the first time, new head coach Alex Golesh and his transformed Auburn football team will take their home field in front of 88,043 screaming fans this Saturday when the Tigers host Southern Miss. Offensive lineman Cole Best is one of nearly 40 players to join up with Auburn through the transfer portal, and he is on the edge of his seat for the opportunity to play in Jordan-Hare Stadium.
“It’s going to be surreal,” Best said, per AuburnTigers.com. “When we played there for A-Day, or a scrimmage when there’s no one in the stands, you get goosebumps and chills when you walk out, look up and imagine 90,000 losing their minds. It’s going to be a happy moment, maybe a little bit of nervousness at first, like holy cow, that’s a lot of people. I can’t wait for that moment.”
Best is one of 13 transfers who followed Golesh to the Plains from South Florida, and he is entering his fourth season playing under offensive line coach Tyler Hudanick, who says Best is a vital piece of the offense.
“From an athleticism standpoint, he can do it all,” Hudanick said. “He’s big enough and rough enough to get downhill in the run game. In protection, he can move his feet. He can be isolated, he can help. He’s pretty talented.
“You know you’re going to get a guy who’s going to fight, no matter what the score is, no matter where you are, he’s going to go out there and swing. He’s a leader, he’s going to hold people accountable. He’s going to be a big part of us this year.”
While the Auburn offensive line didn't play to the best of their ability in game one, Best believes that the bond they share means that their level of play and communication can only improve as the season goes on.
“A lot of guys have built true, authentic relationships with each other,” he said. “You see it in the locker room, you see it on the field. We’ve continued to strengthen this brotherhood and camaraderie, and this overall trust and belief in each other and in ourselves."
The Tigers will make their Jordan-Hare Stadium debut against Southern Miss at 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
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