Auburn football transfer portal tracker | Latest news, developments

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Auburn football transfer portal tracker | Latest news, developments

AUBURN — Alex Golesh‘s first eight months as Auburn football‘s head coach will be imperative to the success of his first season at the helm — but his first month hasn’t done him many favors.

Before the former South Florida head coach even gets his first opportunity to coach a game on the Plains, he’s being tasked with wading through one of the more talented rosters in the sport and carving out his group of guys for the 2026 campaign.

The returns to this point have been, understandably, disheartening. The Tigers were slated to have nearly 30 players in the transfer portal when it opened Friday, Jan. 2, and two-thirds of them were former blue-chip signees, helping comprise the 13th-most-talented roster in the nation last season.

While the likes of Cam Coleman and Deuce Knight will be looking at their options elsewhere, it’ll be up to Golesh and his newly hired staff to do the hard part: build a roster that can compete in the SEC while pushing to retain some of that outgoing talent.

As the offseason ensues, stay tuned here for a full rundown of the latest changes on Auburn‘s roster.

Live updates on Auburn football’s roster: Who’s in, out on the Plains?

USF WRs Christian Neptune, Kory Pettigrew sign with Auburn football

Jan. 4 (6:08 p.m.): South Florida wide receivers Christian Neptune and Kory Pettigrew have signed with Auburn, a source confirmed to the Montgomery Advertiser.

REQUIRED READING: Auburn football adds pair of South Florida wide receiver transfers

Both rising sophomores, Neptune will come to the Plains with three seasons of eligibility remaining, and Pettigrew will arrive with four.

Neptune will look to follow up on an impressive freshman season, in which he caught 38 passes for 335 yards and one touchdown. Pettigrew played in just four games last season, catching three passes for 28 yards.

Auburn football hosting UNT defensive line transfer Saadiq Clements

Oct 10, 2025; Denton, Texas, USA; North Texas Mean Green defensive lineman Ethan Day (90) and defensive lineman Saadiq Clements (98) react after a sack against the South Florida Bulls during the first half of a game at DATCU Stadium.

Jan. 4 (4:43 p.m.): After one season at North Texas, Clements is back in the transfer portal and expected to arrive Sunday at Auburn for a visit.

In 13 games with the Mean Green, Clements totaled 30 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble.

Longsnapper Hudson Powell first official Auburn football transfer signee

Jan. 4 (3:27 p.m.): Hudson Powell, a longsnapper from Miami-Ohio, is Auburn’s first signee of the transfer portal window. South Florida quarterback Locklan Hewlett announced his commitment to the program Saturday, though he has yet to officially sign.

Auburn football sees another returner in wide receiver Bryce Cain

Jan. 4 (3:17 p.m.): The last member of the Freeze Four still standing on the Plains, Cain announced Sunday that he’d return to the Plains for 2026.

Cain has played sparingly through his first two seasons with the program. He played in just four games as a true freshman but saw the field for all 12 games this fall. In all, Cain caught six passes for 58 yards the past two seasons.

Offensive lineman Kail Ellis will return to Auburn football in 2026

Jan. 4 (2:11 p.m.): Ellis, who started two games as a 17-year-old true freshman in 2025, confirmed his reported return Sunday afternoon. He played in eight games, and he surrendered eight pressures in 104 opportunities, according to Pro Football Focus.

Former Alabama offensive lineman reportedly visiting Auburn football

Jan. 4 (2:23 p.m.): Alabama offensive lineman Olaus Alinen will visit Auburn on Jan. 6, according to 247Sports. A former top-200 recruit, Alinen played just 165 snaps in three seasons with the Crimson Tide.

Cal running back reportedly visiting Auburn football

Jan. 4 (12:25 p.m.): Cal’s Brandon High Jr. is supposed to visit Auburn on Sunday, according to multiple reports. The rising redshirt junior spent one season with the Golden Bears, where he had just 98 rushing yards on 23 carries. High came to Cal after a phenomenal 2024, rushing for 495 yards and eight touchdowns.

Oklahoma State DL De’Marion Thomas visiting Auburn football

Jan. 4 (12:05 p.m.): Oklahoma State defensive lineman De’Marion Thomas, who redshirted the 2025 season after Mike Gundy’s firing, is visiting Auburn, the Montgomery Advertiser has learned.

In four games with the Cowboys, Thomas recorded 13 tackles and 0.5 a tackle for loss. He spent his first two seasons at Vanderbilt, where he recorded 41 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 1 sack.

Auburn football WR Sam Turner reverses course, announces 2026 return

Jan. 4 (Noon): After announced earlier this week he’d be entering the transfer portal, wide receiver Sam Turner reversed course Sunday, announcing he’ll return for the 2026 season.

Turner played in three games as a true freshman. A former four-star recruit, Turner did not log any stats in his appearances.

USF’s Byrum Brown, Jonathan Echols in for Auburn football visit

Jan. 4 (10:30 a.m.): The South Florida quarterback Brown and a target of his, Echols, just arrived at the Woltosz Football Performance Facility.

At South Florida, Echols caught 10 passes for 168 yards and four touchdowns in two seasons. Nine of those grabs, three of which were touchdowns, came this past fall.

Which transfers are Auburn football, Alex Golesh targeting?

Which transfers have committed to Auburn football? Full list

  1. QB Locklan Hewlett (South Florida)
    • 247: No. 967 (No. 91 QB)
    • On3: No. 1,483 (No. 115 QB)
  2. WR Christian Neptune (South Florida)
    • 247: N/A
    • On3: No. 1,075 (No. 166 WR)
  3. LS Hudson Powell (Miami-Ohio)
    • 247: N/A
    • On3: No. 1,940 (No. 12 LS)
  4. WR Kory Pettigrew (South Florida)
    • 247: N/A
    • On3: N/A

What Auburn football players are going into the transfer portal? Full list

  • Quarterback: Ashton Daniels; Deuce Knight; Jackson Arnold
  • Running back: Damari Alston; Durell Robinson Jr.
  • Wide receiver: Cam Coleman; Cam’Ron King; Horatio Fields; Malcolm Simmons; Perry Thompson
  • Tight end: Hollis Davidson; Preston Howard
  • Offensive line: DeAndre Carter; Dylan Senda; Favour Ebuka Edwin; Seth Wilfred; Xavier Chaplin
  • Defensive line: Amaris Williams; Antonio Coleman; James Ash; Malik Blocton
  • Edge rusher: Jamonta Waller
  • Linebacker: Caleb Wheatland; Robert Woodyard Jr.
  • Cornerback: A’Mon Lane-Ganusn (South Florida); Donovan Starr; Jay Crawford (Ole Miss); Kayin Lee; Raion Strader
  • Safety: Kensley Louidor-Faustin; Taye Seymore
  • Specialists: K Towns McGough

Which Auburn football players are returning? Full list

What’s the latest with transfer portal calendar? Here’s what to know

After having two portal windows last offseason, including a 30-day span for the majority of December, the NCAA consolidated chances for football players to transfer this year, eliminating a spring transfer window and moving the lone period to a two-week span — from Jan. 2 to Jan. 16 — following the College Football Playoff.

Players who wish to enter the portal must do so in that window, but they’re not required to enroll at a new school before the entry deadline.

Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at acole@gannett.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter.To support Adam’s work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football transfer portal tracker | Latest news, developments

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