For Auburn Tigers head coach Alex Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon, the top priority in this inaugural season is establishing a clear sense of who this team wants to be, and both coaches are firmly committed to making the ground game the cornerstone of that identity.
Quarterback Byrum Brown, a transfer, brings considerable mobility to the position, and the Tigers are also fortunate to have star senior running back Jeremiah Cobb back in the fold. Still, relying solely on one back to carry the entire rushing attack is not a realistic expectation.
That’s where transfer Bryson Washington comes in. After leaving Baylor to join Cobb in Auburn’s backfield, Washington brings impressive credentials 1,028 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns in 2024 but his 2025 campaign was cut short by a leg injury that cost him most of the season.
Over the past year, Washington has been managing a soft-tissue issue that also kept him out of most of Auburn’s spring practices. Though the injury itself is no longer a major concern, the former Bear is still adjusting to the tempo and demands of the Tigers’ up-tempo offensive system.
“Yeah, Bryce is still fighting like crazy to change his body,” Golesh told Auburn Tigers on SI. “We’ve been hard on him and the demand in this offense is hard… You got to be in elite shape. He’s worked hard to get into elite shape. We continued to harp, changing his body. Continued to harp being able to play 8, 9, 10, 11 plays in a row. I would tell you, he’s getting closer. He’s not there yet.”
Auburn opens the 2026 season against Washington’s former squad, Baylor, in Atlanta on September 5—but whether Washington will be ready to face his old team remains uncertain.
“He’s physically at 100%. But fall camp will be really good for him,” Golesh said. “When you miss spring, and you’re on this offense, that’s the one part. You may get the mental side of it, assignment-wise; you may be right, but to carry the ball three, four times in a row, to be able to carry it, then protect, then run a route, then carry it again, then protect and run a route.”
Regardless of Washington’s availability, Cobb gives Auburn a reliable option to lean on, and the Tigers also have returner Omar Mabson plus two other transfer running backs Nykahi Davenport from USF and Tae Meadows from Troy to help share the load behind Cobb.
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