Despite the early promise Alex Golesh has shown in his first offseason leading the Auburn Tigers, his handling of the offensive front hasn’t exactly bred much assurance when it comes to shielding the quarterback. The offensive line looks poised to remain a persistent vulnerability, much as it has been throughout the program’s five-year stretch of losing campaigns.
According to 247Sports’ Christian Clemente, there aren’t any guards who have clearly separated themselves as reliable starters. In a conversation with Rocky Top Insider’s Ryan Sylvia, Clemente pointed out that only one player appears to be a definitive starter at this stage: USF Bulls transfer center Cole Best.
“It’s a lot of USF transfers and then a bit of a hodgepodge of an offensive line. That’s where we’ll start, as that’s the biggest question mark and likely the weakness on this side of the ball. Just three total players return from last year’s team, and they’re all second-year players who are likely in the two-deep but probably not starters. Cole Best is the only “lock” of a starter, as he was USF’s starting center, ranked pretty well in the transfer portal and is expected to maintain his role at Auburn. The continuity there with Brown and Golesh should help the unit. A combo of James Madison transfer Jo Simmons and Michigan State transfer Stanton Ramil are the likely tackles, but questions surround Ramil’s health with multiple injuries previously and very limited in spring. The guard spots are still completely up in the air, to be honest,” Clemente said.
That kind of assessment is tough to hear, plain and simple. If Auburn is going to turn things around on the Plains in 2026, the offense will need to finally rise to the level of DJ Durkin’s defensive prowess. Without a sturdy front to provide protection, it’s difficult to envision the on-field product looking all that different from recent years—even with a mostly overhauled offensive roster.
It’s not as though the five-year losing stretch featured quarterbacks who couldn’t move. Ashton Daniels, Jackson Arnold, Payton Thorne, Robby Ashford, and Bo Nix all had mobility. But in the SEC, where defensive lines are among the most formidable in the nation and athletic linebackers and nickelbacks are adept at spying, you simply have to give your signal-caller room to operate.
Golesh and Tyler Hudanick did a respectable job finding some tackle prospects who might develop, but if Stanton Ramil isn’t healthy enough to play, it’s tough to feel confident about who’s protecting the blindside. Add in the fact that there’s still no clear direction at the interior line positions following spring practice, and things could turn ugly quickly when facing the SEC’s elite defensive fronts.
There’s a reason Auburn’s 2026 forecasts rarely go beyond seven wins. You’ll see some projections that give the Tigers an outside shot at eight victories and if that comes to pass, it would represent an ideal outcome. Anything north of eight would be pure fantasy. For now, it’s more realistic to set the floor at six wins, with seven counting as a positive year.
Auburn simply can’t expect much more while the offensive line remains in its current state. Some growing pains were anticipated, but not to the degree that team insiders are still unsure who’ll line up at guard come June.
Golesh has undoubtedly accomplished plenty of positive things so far. At this moment, however, constructing a patchwork offensive line capable of keeping the team in the hunt for an SEC title in Year 1 doesn’t appear to be among them.
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