Alex Golesh's Auburn Tigers transfer portal haul feels like enough to do damage in the SEC during the 2026 season. Sure, there are probably only four conference matchups AU can probably, maybe, count on to win. Then again, the Vanderbilt Commodores have been better under Clark Lea every year, and Jon Sumrall joins the Florida Gators with a chip on his shoulder to beat Auburn. There's no reason the Tigers should have problems with the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Arkansas Razorbacks, but the NIL/rev-share era doesn't always have explainable results.
Then, you read Inside Texas's Joe Cook describe Golesh's process as "an effort to create a playable roster in year one" and you wonder if Auburn is about to be asked to stomach another rebuild in year one.
Cook wasn't all doom and gloom, though, showing optimism about the Tigers' portal additions of former USF Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown and Keshaun Singleton. His assessment was rough, though, especially in the backdrop of Auburn having the lowest-ranked portal haul in the SEC, according to On3.
"Alex Golesh had a lot of work to do, but luckily some of his better South Florida players were able to join him on the Plains. Losing Coleman was a significant blow for the Tigers, but Auburn added one of Brown’s top targets in Keshaun Singleton and a number of players from around the country in an effort to create a playable roster in year one," Cook wrote.
Auburn fans must have faith in Alex Golesh's process
Golesh is bringing a deliberate culture-building process to the Plains. The process may or may not yield growing pains. The whole puzzle needs to fit, and a few of the breaks that the Tigers weren't getting the past few years have to go their way.
Who knows? Maybe SEC officials will like Golesh on a personal level more than they liked his two predecessors. It was only when the team had an unpopular and, to some, morally questionable, coach that there seemed to be a fix that was in against Auburn.
If Golesh can get his guys to spot the ball and feel coached up and empowered do the right things on the field, including being disciplined enough to not draw bad penalties, while also enjoying playing together in an ego-less locker room, then maybe the buy-in and lead to something great.
Hugh Freeze couldn't get that quick enough during any of his seasons in East Central Alabama. Bryan Harsin had that in 2021, but saw it crumble apart in short order once the calendar reached November. In 2022, that wasn't even possible after the internal strife.
Maybe, just maybe, things could be different in 2026. Historically, the underdog is the role AU thrives in. Golesh has been doing that in recent years, leading USF over Florida and the Boise State Broncos as an unfathomable underdog himself.
Maybe, just maybe, the slipper will fit again in the Loveliest Village, like it once did during the last decade.