Auburn fans will need a roster for the first few games of the 2026 football season, as massive turnover has come with a brand-new coaching staff on the Plains.
Alex Golesh has brought in a new crop of players who are looking to restore pride to the Auburn football program after a disappointing five losing seasons under Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze. While the Tigers have lost some major talent, Golesh and his staff have helped restock that with some critical signees, including many from his former team, USF.
With Auburn likely done in the transfer portal, here’s a quick look at how both sides of the ball stand with a depth chart for each position. Today, we look at Auburn’s wide receivers, where there was a massive loss of talent, including Cam Coleman, Eric Singleton Jr., Malcolm Simmons, Perry Thompson and Horatio Fields.
Wide receivers
Starters: Keshaun Singleton (Jr.) Jeremiah Koger (So.), Chas Nimrod (Sr.)
Backups: Christian Neptune (So.), Kory Pettigrew (Redshirt Fr.), Bryce Cain (So.), Sam Turner (R. Fr.), Duke Smith (Redshirt Fr.), Erick Smith (Redshirt Fr.), DeShawn Spencer (Fr.), Brian Williams (Fr.)
The "Golesh Five" replace the "Freeze Four"
Out are three of the “Freeze Four”. Incoming are the “Golesh Five” that includes Singleton, who led USF with 877 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 50 catches last season. Joining him from Tampa are Koger (38 catches, 597 yards, eight touchdowns), Nimrod (23 catches, 466 yards, three touchdowns) and Neptune (38 catches, 335 yards, one touchdown) as part of rebuilding the Auburn wide receiver corps. Don’t forget about Pettigrew, who also came from USF, catching three passes for 28 yards last season.
That leaves Cain, the only member left of the "Freeze Four," who has seen extremely limited time in his first two years on the Plains, and Smith, who caught one pass last season, as the only returning Tigers with stats to show for.
Turner, who decided to return after initially announcing his intent to enter the portal, has plenty of upside in his game.
For now, it looks like the former USF players will catch the majority of Byrum Brown’s passes.
MORE: Post-portal window way-too-early roster predictions for Auburn running backs