Auburn fans are asking about interior offensive lineman Kail Ellis in droves, wondering when he'll get his shot at the center position this fall.
Starter Cole Best hasn't earned Tiger fans' trust yet, and there's only so much season left to figure out the position.
Best has graded out in the bottom half of the Power 4 conferences among the eligible centers during the 2026 season. If you don't believe in individual grading for offensive linemen, it's been clear that the interior cannot get any push in the run game.
Auburn's leading rusher is quarterback Byrum Brown, and he's gotten much of his yardage in chunks from scrambles out of broken plays.
Jeremiah Cobb and Omar Mabson's rushing totals are heavily influenced by the Southern Miss game. Cobb has struggled against Tennessee and Florida, which are more representative of the teams ahead on the schedule.
There are clearly issues across the entire interior offensive line. The guard spots might not have an answer this season. Ellis might be an option to improve things at the center spot, though.
With that said, Coach Alex Golesh has indicated that Ellis and Miami transfer guard Deryc Plazz aren't there quite yet.
"As soon as we feel like those guys give us an advantage that the guys that are playing don't, then those guys will get an opportunity to play as well," Golesh said last week.
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Kail Ellis may not be up to speed with Auburn's offensive pace
It's unclear exactly what Golesh was referring to when it comes to Ellis not playing yet despite Best's struggles.
If one were to assume, based on past statements, it'd be about not getting up to speed. Ellis sounded as though the pace of play under offensive coordinator Joel Gordon was something he'd need to get used to.
"It's a very complex offense, but the coaches do a great job helping simplify it up front," Ellis said. "The calls we have just try to simplify the plays and keep it all together so the defense can't pick up on any tendencies or signals. It's complex, but the coaches do a great job of explaining it to us"
Ellis has a fanbase that is dying to see him play. Whether or not he is the answer at center is unclear, but Ellis not getting a shot would have many accusing Golesh of stubbornly sticking with his USF guys.
Best, along with right guard Cole Skinner, was one of the only linemen Golesh brought over from the Bulls. With Gordon admitting that the Group of Six transfers are still adjusting to SEC play, there's only more anticipation for Ellis finally getting a shot.
We'll see if it ever comes soon enough.
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