Who Are Auburn's Two Most Significant Returners in 2026?

Who Are Auburn's Two Most Significant Returners in 2026?

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Who Are Auburn's Two Most Significant Returners in 2026?
Despite having to replace most of its starters, the Auburn Tigers do return some valuable production for Year One of the Alex
Despite having to replace most of its starters, the Auburn Tigers do return some valuable production for Year One of the Alex Golesh era. | Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In a year where the Auburn Tigers rank dead last in the SEC for roster retention, there have been quite a few new faces journeying to the Plains over the past few months. New head coach Alex Golesh has worked hard in both the transfer portal and recruiting circles to put together a top-level new roster, and he has done so quite well.

However, not every Auburn player for this upcoming season is a new face, and though the Tigers ended up with very few returners, there is one returner on each side of the ball that could make the difference in a transfer portal-heavy year for the Tigers.

On the offensive side of the ball, the most impactful Auburn returner is also conveniently the only offensive returner: Jeremiah Cobb. Though he technically earns this nod by default, Cobb is expected to be the head of a dominant Auburn rushing attack in 2026.

Auburn Tigers running back Jeremiah Cobb rushed for 969 yards and five touchdowns as a junior.
Auburn Tigers running back Jeremiah Cobb rushed for 969 yards and five touchdowns as a junior. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Joined by Baylor transfer Bryson Washington and USF transfer quarterback Byrum Brown in the backfield, this group represents the first time in Auburn history that the Tigers have had three 1,000-yard career rushers headed into a single season.

Cobb is expected to be the Tigers' starter in his senior year, so expectations are high for the career Auburn athlete. So far, he has rushed for 1,283 yards over his career, and in this offense, that number could come close to doubling in 2026, depending on how Golesh decides to split the load.

On defense, the Tigers return Xavier Atkins, who was arguably their best defensive player from 2025, even in a year in which an Auburn edge rusher was drafted in the first round. A 2025 transfer from LSU, Atkins lit up the SEC in his first year of consistent play, boasting 17.0 tackles for loss, which were the most in the SEC and the third most in Auburn's single-season history dating back to 1981.

Additionally, Atkins earned First-Team All-SEC honors from the AP and the Coaches' Poll, led the team with 84 tackles and was even a Chuck Bednarik Award semifinalist, an award given to the best defensive player in college football.

Auburn linebacker Xavier Atkins headlines the Tigers' returning defensive production.
Auburn linebacker Xavier Atkins headlines the Tigers' returning defensive production. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Needless to say, DJ Durkin is happy to have him back, while Golesh is happy to have him for the first time, as the junior is set for what could be his biggest season yet. After all, last season was his first-ever as a consistent starter.

So, though the Tigers are made up of a very high percentage of transfer portal and recruiting talent, remnants of recruiting past should make a massive impact on the Tigers' chances to be successful this season.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/auburn as Who Are Auburn's Two Most Significant Returners in 2026?.

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