Fall camp is kicking into high gear this week as the Auburn Tigers go to work preparing for a season-opening showdown with Baylor on Sept. 5 in Atlanta.
The Tigers are seeking their first winning season since 2020, and with new head coach Alex Golesh at the helm, change is expected, but the improvement of any strengths is also a big focus of the team.
With the next four weeks in front of Auburn to figure out its full depth chart and dive in to prepare for what the Bears and Dave Aranda will throw at it to start the year, there are certainly a lot of focus points during fall camp.
Most of the position groups are certain to see some high competition for who will see playing time and what all they will produce from a scheming perspective.
Considering all that is to watch, here is one position group from each side of the ball that will garner a lot of attention in fall camp.
Offensive line
One of the biggest questions of Alex Golesh and his staff coming into the 2026 season is how he plans to create a consistent and strong offensive line.
Golesh brought Tyler Hudanick with him from USF to be the offensive line coach and run game coordinator, a staff member who has been with him for the long run. Hudanick also worked with Golesh while he was at UCF and Tennessee.
Hudanick held the same position while in Tampa, and in 2025, he helped the Bulls’ run game to rank 10th nationally with 225.42 yards per game.
Why does that matter? The Tigers 2026 offensive line, specifically many of the upperclassmen, are made up of mostly transfers. All of the widely-projected starters are also transfers, coming together as teammates for the first time and meshing together to see what they can create.
As a result, this is one of the biggest question marks on the entire team, but center Cole Best and right guard Cole Skinner are two of the names to watch to lead the way, as they both played under Hudanick at USF. James Madison transfer Jo Simmons and Miami transfer Deryc Plazz also have high chances to make an impact on the left side, as they have both showed strong spouts leading up to fall camp. Stanton Ramil has faced injury issues throughout the spring and his health will be a little bit of a concern, putting the right tackle spot pretty well up in the air. Underclassmen Tai Buster and Wilson Zierer will be major contenders there as well.
With many others behind them not mentioned in that group that will create depth, the competition is high and will be hopeful to improve after the offense finished 10th in the SEC in total yards per game last season with 373.9 in 2025.
Safety
The retention of DJ Durkin as the Tigers defensive coordinator after the end of last season was arguably the biggest move of the offseason for the program.
While some transfers were still involved with the defense as a whole, there is reason to believe that the 2026 unit could be as strong as ever, especially behind the defensive line.
The secondary as a whole returns a lot of experience to the table this season, but the safety room will especially be on watch with the faces that will take the field.
Five guys that saw somewhat significant playing time for Auburn last year are returning, which after the Tigers defense finished seventh in yards given up per game with 329.2, is a little bit of a welcome sign.
Sylvester Smith-Reed, AnQuon Fegans, Eric Winters and Kaleb Harris are all back to use their knowledge of being on the Plains to their advantage. Also back is Third Team Preseason All-SEC selection Champ Anthony, who the team is hoping can stay healthy after he has spent the last two seasons plagued by injuries.
Fred Gaskin III also adds to the litany of talent in the room, making it a true battle for a limited number of starting spots. The USF transfer tallied 53 total tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions, being a vital part of the Bulls secondary.
This group will rotate throughout the year, but it is the question of who separates themselves that will be the big question at hand for the safeties.
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
