USA TODAY Sports' Paul Myerberg posted his final report card for the 2025 college football season on Wednesday morning. Coddled alongside lackluster programs such as Colorado, Liberty, and North Carolina, Auburn sits in the bottom quarter of FBS teams with a D+ final grade. The Tigers’ 5–7 season ranks them fifth from last out of SEC teams in USA Today’s standings.
Myerberg’s rankings are determined by calculating how well a team meets their preseason expectations.
Major media outlets have come to a unanimous agreement that Auburn didn’t meet its potential during the 2025 season. The Tigers boasted exceptional talent in wide receiver Cam Coleman and former five-star quarterback Jackson Arnold. However, while Auburn began the season with College Football Playoff expectations, a streak of in-conference losses led to the inevitable firing of head coach Hugh Freeze and the Tigers’ fifth consecutive losing record.
Arnold was supposed to be the answer at quarterback, but proved anything but that, throwing for just 1,309 yards and six touchdowns before being replaced by Ashton Daniels in the second half of the Arkansas game. Damari Alston, who started the season as the Tigers' top runnin back, decided to redshirt halfway through the season, saving his eligibility for 2026 before entering the transfer portal.
Auburn given a D+ rating by USA TODAY Sports
Auburn is one of five programs within the D+ category to have fired their head coach.
While USA TODAY Sports' grade reflects poorly on Auburn’s season, the Tigers have much to look forward to in 2026. Newly minted head coach Alex Golesh has assembled a talented portal class headlined by former USF quarterback Byrum Brown.
Golesh enters his first year on the Plains with lofty expectations. Fortunately, the former USF play caller and his revamped coaching staff have a long seven months until their 2026 season opener against Baylor.