AUBURN, Ala. – When the Auburn Tigers open Southeastern Conference play on Sept. 19 against the Florida Gators, the matchup will carry a storyline shaped as much by last season’s transfer portal as by the gridiron history between the two programs.
For quarterback Byrum Brown and several of his key offensive weapons, the game represents a rematch against a familiar opponent. Last season, while at South Florida, Brown and the Bulls handed the Gators an 18-16 defeat. Now wearing orange and blue under former USF head coach Alex Golesh, Brown and his fellow USF transfers will get another shot at Florida this time in the SEC.
“It’s huge,” Brown said this week at SEC Media Days of the familiarity within Auburn’s new-look receiving corps. “With our guys, you put it anywhere, they go get it. … It’s one cohesive unit. It’s not just one guy; it’s more than one”.
The cohesion is no accident. Golesh, who led a historic turnaround at USF before being hired to replace Hugh Freeze at Auburn, brought over four of the Bulls’ top five receivers by total yards from last season. That group is led by Keshaun Singleton, who hauled in 50 passes for 877 yards and eight touchdowns in 2025, and Jeremiah Koger, who added 38 catches for 597 yards and eight scores. Center Cole Best, another USF transfer who anchored an offensive line that allowed just 16 sacks last season, also followed Golesh to the Plains.
Brown himself was one of the most coveted quarterbacks in the transfer portal after a spectacular 2025 season in which he threw for 3,158 yards and 28 touchdowns while rushing for 1,008 yards and 14 more scores. He became the only FBS quarterback last season to surpass 3,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards.
“I’m truly blessed to even be a quarterback for Auburn University,” Brown said at SEC Media Days in Tampa. “Was blessed to be a quarterback for USF, when I was QB4. Tremendous gratitude to USF, as well. Just can’t wait to play at Auburn”.
The matchup is more than a reunion of former Bulls. Both programs enter 2026 under first-year head coaches with something to prove. Auburn hired Golesh, while Florida turned to Jon Sumrall, who was considered a top candidate for the Auburn job before choosing the Gators. That dynamic adds a personal edge to the SEC opener.
“It’s a really, really interesting circle game for me,” national analyst Josh Pate said of the matchup. “Florida is a wild card team, Auburn is a wild card team. Very few people will predict them to be in the mix, but they are the kinds of teams with the minimum baseline of talent level that if everything clicks, they could be a surprise contender”.
Pate noted that the winner could emerge “supercharged” heading into the remainder of the season. ESPN’s Football Power Index gives Auburn a slight 52.1% chance to win, with the home-field advantage at Jordan-Hare Stadium viewed as a key factor.
Florida, meanwhile, will counter with quarterback Aaron Philo, a Georgia Tech transfer, and wide receiver Eric Singleton a former Auburn player who followed Sumrall to Gainesville.
The game also revives an underrated SEC rivalry with significant history. Auburn and Florida played annually for 58 consecutive years before the SEC’s scheduling format changed in 2002. Since then, the teams have met only three times. This year’s matchup marks Florida’s first trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium since 2011.
From Steve Spurrier’s Heisman-clinching field goal in 1966 to Bo Jackson’s 1985 performance and the memorable upsets of the 1990s, the series has produced some of the SEC’s most dramatic moments. Games in 1993 and 1994, when an Auburn program on NCAA probation upset top-ranked Florida teams, remain legendary in the rivalry lore.
For the 2026 edition, both teams are relying heavily on transfers and first-year leadership. Auburn’s offense features 10 projected transfer starters, while the defense returns playmakers like linebacker Xavier Atkins, who recorded 84 tackles and nine sacks in 2025.
“Auburn just started 4-0. That’s what happens,” Pate said of the potential momentum a win over Florida could generate. But for Golesh, Brown and the USF transfers now wearing Auburn uniforms, the mission is clear: prove that what worked against Florida in 2025 can translate to the SEC in 2026.
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