The Auburn Tigers getting Kevin Overton back for the 2026-27 season is a major coup for head coach Steven Pearl, GM Brian Kloman, and Co. Apparently, another major coup could result from the senior guard's return.
Per Auburn Undercover's Nathan King, "An early name to know is San Jose State transfer Colby Garland, as Auburn Undercover was informed he will meet virtually with Steven Pearl and the Tigers' staff later this week. The return of starting guard Kevin Overton could help Auburn's case with Garland, as the two were teammates at Drake in 2023-24."
Colby Garland is coming off a 20-plus-point-per-game campaign on a 49/37/84 shooting split with the San Jose Spartans in 2025-26. SJSU was 9-24 this past season, ahead of only the Air Force Falcons in the Mountain West. Sure, those were good stats on a bad team in a single-bid mid-major conference, but buckets are buckets.
The familiarity with Overton is key after the former Texas Tech Red Raider and Drake Bulldog broke out in the NIT and helped Auburn win its first postseason championship in program history, a feat the Alabama Crimson Tide has never achieved in a given March/April. We'll see what comes of that, if anything.
Tahaad Pettiford's future up in the air with Colby Garland rumor
Does this loss mean Tahaad Pettiford is a goner? There have been fluctuating projections from every direction on what Pettiford does next. He was a great fit next to Overton, but is having three undersized guards in your rotation ideal for a winning formula?
Steven Pearl seems to have had overseeing strong guard play passed down from his father, just like the Tigers' head coaching job itself, so it wouldn't be the worst thing. Plus, the team just lost Kaden Magwood to the portal. With that said, this roster needs a big man after also losing Filip Jovic to the portal.
Kloman has a busy first offseason to figure this all out. We'll see if Haad is part of the plan, and if not, if Garland is his replacement.