The Auburn Tigers have been slowly finding out who will play in what exact scenarios as the 2026 season nears for Alex Golesh and his team.
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From determining the best players to who can play certain crucial roles, Golesh and his staff continue making decisions that will impact who will be on the field.
One determination that is ongoing is where wide receiver Bryce Cain will play, and it may not be on the offensive side of the football.
On Tuesday, Cain was seen taking reps with the cornerbacks at practice, a new transition that has not been seen until the media viewing window that day.
“Bryce has got a really, really good skill set, starting with that he can run, and really, really fast,” Golesh said. “He’s done a really good job as a returner for us. He’s kind of in a deeper slot room where we’re not super deep at corner, and we wanted to try and see it here this last week of camp.”
The redshirt sophomore played in all 12 games as a wideout in 2025, but only recorded a limited number of stats. Cain brought in four receptions for 25 yards, with his best game coming in the Iron Bowl, when he caught the ball three times for 28 yards. He lost three yards in a catch against South Alabama.
While Cain has not risen in the depth chart like many hoped he would take throughout preseason camp, the wide receiver is someone Golesh said will see the field this year.
The head coach admitted that Cain was willing to try the position out and has gone to work ever since.
“Give Bryce a ton of credit,” Golesh said. “He was like, ‘Yes sir,’ and has done a really good job. He’s still learning. He’s still figuring it out, but he can run. He is a physical kid, so we’re going to give him a couple days there and then ultimately find (where he will be). He’s going to play for us. We’re excited about him.”
Golesh said that Cain has made plenty of improvements as camp has gone on and that he wants to make sure he gets on the field.
Cain still has the chance to be placed in the receiver spot in some scenarios though, but it all depends on where the team is health wise and how things are going overall.
“He’s made a ton of strides, but if we’re healthy at recevier, then we felt like that was the fastest way for him to get on the field,” Golesh said. “That doesn’t mean he can’t come back. Right now, what we’ve told him is he’s got a chance to play both and we’re going to continue to bring him along.”
Cain was part of Hugh Freeze’s stout recruiting class that included the likes of Cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons and Perry Thompson as a group of wide receivers. All of the three of those players have since transferred away from the team.”
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
