Raley Reflections: Auburn still searching for its identity after sloppy scrimmage

The second week of preseason camp is officially complete for the Auburn Tigers and head coach Alex Golesh, and there is a lot to take away from all that happened on the Plains.

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Needless to say, from what I’m hearing, there’s still a long way to go for this squad to be ready. Most of the recent coaches in Auburn’s history have likely said the same thing at this point in the preseason, few though, have said it with the urgency that Golesh has.

For a head coach that his players need to “humble the heck out of yourselves” and that a team scrimmage was “sloppy” on each side of the football was real. It is the kind of reality that, honestly, I think a lot of Auburn fans wanted to hear.

Sure, Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze might have not been happy with the performance that his team put on in their scrimmages, but they never put it that blatantly.

So what do I take away from that?

This team definitely still has an identity to build as far as how it will present itself on the field. It is an assistant coach’s job to get onto a player and coach them up hard in drills, making sure they do it right. It’s what I’ve seen from Kodi Burns and the wide receivers, as well as Tyler Hudanick and the offensive line.

Golesh said from the first day that he wants his team to be violent and physical on the field. Watching practice, you can see the team working towards that play, but the position groups collectively have not all gotten there yet.

Now, has this team gotten closer in terms of bonding? I think it has.

Multiple players have been heard complimenting what staying at the resort in Opelika has done for their chemistry and how it is benefitting the team for the future. 

Team chemistry is all important, don’t get me wrong. It is one of the foundations for having a rock-solid team that can play well together and be firm through the trials that are faced. That is a lot of the reason the 2010 Auburn squad was the way it was, which was evident by Cam Newton’s halftime speech when the Tigers were down at home against Clemson.

At the end of the day though, what people in this region care the most about is what numbers are in the win and loss columns. The level of physicality and smarts a team presents will affect that.

There are some bright spots that I have at this point at fall camp.

Jeremiah Cobb and Omar Mabson II have the chance to be one of the nation’s elite running back duos if they keep their heads down and raise the standard. Mabson especially has been touted for his consistency and willingness to go to work each day.

The defensive line, despite Vontrell King-Williams not being happy about Friday’s scrimmage performance, has a lot of talent to maintain the standard that Auburn has had for a long time with its fronts. Jared Smith is a young talent that impressed as a freshman, but I can promise looks even quicker and stronger heading into the 2026 season.

The secondary, once it is back at full health, will have a lot of rotation to help confuse defenses and present different looks, especially with the versatility provided by Champ Anthony, Newboy Fegans adn Sylvester Smith-Reed. 

There is still a long way to go, and I think when you look at what to take away from the second week of this preseason camp, it’s that the coaching staff is real.

They will not hesitate to say what needs to be worked on and why it is important.

If you’re a fan, that is an optimistic sign that can come of this without setting off all the alarms.

Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.