The timer is down to nearly 48 hours until the Auburn Tigers begin their 2026 football season, the first under Head Coach Alex Golesh, one that will start in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Set for a showdown against the Baylor Bears, the Tigers are hoping to walk out on Saturday night with a sweep of the representatives from the Big 12 after winning last year to open up the season in Waco.
With all the big-time players that will take the field, Auburn Undercover gets to its top three in its Impacting Auburn series, where the staff was polled on who they believed would be the top 20 difference makers this fall.
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.
Checking in at No. 3 is yet another sophomore, making it two within the top five of this list. Elijah Melendez showed true flashes of stardom during his freshman campaign, and now being in the midst of a talented linebacker group, he is seeking to make headlines this year.
General information:
Year: Sophomore
Position: Linebacker
Height: 6-foot
Weight: 240 pounds
Hometown: Kissimmee, Florida
Performance in 2025:
When you consider the fact that Melendez got to not only see significant playing time, but get that in all 12 games as a true freshman, it makes what he did remarkable.
Melendez got to take the field in each contest for Auburn in 2025, earning one start in the process. In that time, he got on the stat sheet in each of his appearances except for one, that one time coming against Arkansas.
The then freshman recorded 29 total tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, a pair of interceptions and one touchdown, of which the interceptions tied for the most on the team.
His tackles total landed him eighth on the defense for the year and third in the linebacker room behind Xavier Atkins and Robert Woodyard Jr. His most productive game in terms of tackling came in a rivalry contest against Georgia, when he secured six total tackles and one sack.
Melendez was selected to the 2026 SEC All-Freshman team as a result of his efforts, raising his stock as he heads into his sophomore campaign.
Preseason camp intel:
It is safe to say that the linebacker room that the Tigers have compiled this year is one that has high expectations from a performance value, and Melendez is one of those that will be expected to lead more and more as games go on.
The sophomore is part of a group that, as linebackers coach Brad Wilson puts it, is “a bunch of different personalities, but all the same mindset.” It is a trait that makes the linebackers unique and gives them high potential.
However, the linebackers as a whole have been a group of players that Golesh wants to drive to get more and more vocal leadership out of, especially in Melendez.
Despite being just a sophomore, Melendez has displayed a veteran mentality and force throughout preseason camp, trying to build off of what he did last season.
The leadership role is beginning to show though. In a press conference on Monday, Golesh touted a long list of players as ones that are beginning to come out of their shell a little bit, with Melendez being one of those guys.
As the preseason has dragged longer and longer, and the first game has moved closer to the present day, Melendez has been ready to get on the field more and more, something he has vocalized.
“I’m just excited to hit another person in another jersey,” Melendez said.
Melendez is not listed as a definite starter for Saturday’s season opener against Baylor, as no starters have been outright named at the linebacker spots whatsoever. However, Melendez has been taking most of his reps in the first team rotation with Atkins.
Impacting Auburn ranking
No. 3 - Elijah Melendez
No. 4 - Jeremiah Cobb
No. 5 - Jared Smith
No. 6 - Keshaun Singleton
No. 7 - Cody Sigler
No. 8 - Champ Anthony
No. 9 - Dallas Walker IV
No. 10 - Stanton Ramil
No. 11 - Jeremiah Koger
No. 12 - Da’Shawn Womack
No. 13 - Rayshawn Pleasant
No. 14 - Alex McPherson
No. 15 - Cole Best
No. 16 - Eric Winters
No. 17 - AnQuon Fegans
No. 18 - Omar Mabson II
No. 19 - Jake Johnson
No. 20 - Sylvester Smith-Reed
What do you say? Leave your thoughts on our board below.
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
