Auburn's Jeremiah Cobb left out of ESPN's top 10 RB rankings for 2026

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Auburn running back Jeremiah Cobb will begin the season as an underdog, which could be a good thing.

Cobb missed out on being included on ESPN's top running backs in college football for the 2026 season rankings, falling into the "also receiving votes" category alongside fellow SEC backs Nate Frazier (Georgia) and DeSean Bishop (Tennessee).

Cobb took the reins of the running back position last season by jumping Damari Alston on the depth chart and making 11 starts. He finished fifth in the SEC in carries with 175, but it was still well shy of the top carriers in the SEC, Ole Miss' Kewan Lacey, Missouri's Ahmad Hardy, and Florida's Jaden Baugh, who all carried the football over 200 times last season.

All three backs are set to return to their respective programs in 2026. The trio, as well as Texas running backs Hollywood Smothers and Raleek Brown, are in ESPN's top 10 and are viewed as the players Cobb needs to beat to become one of the SEC's top rushers this season.

As the Tigers' premier back in 2026, Cobb will aim to gain more carries and to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career after just missing the mark with 969 yards in 2025. However, he will share duties with another 1,000-yard back in Bryson Washington, who accomplished the feat in 2024 at Baylor, and Omar Mabson, who is also itching to break out after appearing in 10 games as a true freshman in 2025. Alvin Henderson can not be ruled out of the picture, either.

Still, a new season with a new head coach and offensive coordinator could do wonders for Cobb as he enters his senior season with Auburn. As close as he got to becoming a household name in 2025, expect Cobb to go above and beyond this season and to leave a permanent mark on the Auburn Tigers football program.

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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn football: Jeremiah Cobb outside of ESPN's preseason RB ranking

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