The Auburn Tigers have hit the halfway point in their final week of preseason camp, with Wednesday being probably the most critical of the entire period with a scrimmage happening at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
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The scrimmage marks the second and final one of camp before a mock game week routine set for next week, as the Tigers will officially be two weeks away from kicking the season off against Baylor.
The next edition of Auburn Undercover’s top 20 impact players watch list is here to reveal another player who the staff thinks will play a big factor in how Auburn plays in 2026.
As a disclaimer, the poll was tabulated by rankings sent in from four people on the Auburn Undercover staff—Tyler Raley, Ryan Bartow, Caleb Jones and Jay Douglas. The rankings each person sent in were averaged, with the lowest score going at the top of the list.
The No. 18 spot features one of the younger players on the Tigers’ roster, but one person who has been touted in the early goings of 2026 as someone to keep an eye on in the backfield. That player is Omar Mabson II, a possible future star in the backfield.
General information:
Year: Sophomore
Position: Running back
Height: 5-foot-9
Weight: 215 pounds
Hometown: Auburn, Alabama
Performance in 2025:
Mabson arrived to the Plains in 2025 as a young true freshman with a small stature, but made up for it in his playing time with determination, physicality and strength.
The Auburn, Alabama product saw the field in 10 games last season, but was limited in terms of true action on offense.
Mabson ran the ball 16 times for 71 yards and one touchdown while also catching four passes for 42 yards. He officially got on the stat sheet in six of his outings and was third in the running back room in terms of rushing yards, a room that was largely dominated by Jeremiah Cobb.
The then freshman did not have a clear-cut best game of his opening year. His most carries in a game came in a 31-15 win over South Alabama, when he carried the ball five times for 13 yards. His most rushing yards came in a 42-3 victory against Ball State, rushing four times for 25 yards. His one touchdown came in his only carry in a double overtime loss to Missouri, where he rushed the ball up the middle for a 1-yard score.
His most receptions in a game came when he caught two passes for 25 yards in a 10-3 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats, Hugh Freeze’s final game with the program as head coach.
Preseason camp intel:
In a running back room that has been praised for its depth of competition, Mabson has certainly been one that has impressed coaches as camp has gone on.
Early on in camp, Head Coach Alex Golesh complimented the young back for his consistency, saying, “He is the definition of you know what you’re going to get every single day.”
Running backs coach Larry Porter also echoed Golesh’s sentiments about Mabson, touting his consistency and his toughness as a player.
It has proven to be a very noticeable set of traits, which represents the room’s desired identity nicely.
“I think what Omar brings is a presence to this team because he comes to work every single day,” Porter said.
Having the early experience from playing in SEC competition in 2025 is something Mabson said helped him over the course of the offseason. He got to learn from his reps and develop as a result, which was “crucial” for him in order to become the player he is now.
Now because of that, Mabson has been working directly behind Cobb for the most part in the second rotation of players in practice drills, and even got a lot of reps with the first team in Friday’s scrimmage in the stadium.
It remains to be seen if the solid preseason camp showing will translate into game action, but he is proving a point to gain considerable playing time in the Baylor opener on Sept. 5.
Mabson is one of four sophomores in the running back room alongside Nykahi Davenport, Alvin Henderson and Cole Gamble.
Impacting Auburn ranking
No. 18 - Omar Mabson II
No. 19 - Jake Johnson
No. 20 - Sylvester Smith-Reed
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Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
