Auburn Tigers finally land elite transfer portal talent for new head coach Alex Golesh that wasn’t a USF Bull last year

Auburn Tigers complete their running back room by adding elite transfer RB Bryson Washington from Baylor

Travis May — College Football Managing Editor
Add as preferred source on Google
© Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers have had an odd start in the transfer portal. Yes, new head coach Alex Golesh and his staff have brought in several talented players who should make an immediate impact. However, the vast majority of those players were just guys who followed Golesh from USF to Auburn.

It was beginning to look like Auburn wouldn’t land any elite transfer talent unless they played for the Bulls with Golesh last year. Thankfully, Tigers fans no longer have to worry about that now because Auburn just added one of the best players in the entire portal.

Auburn Tigers land transfer RB Bryson Washington from Baylor

The Auburn Tigers already had a strong running game this past season that finished ranked inside the top 30 by most rush efficiency measures, thanks to Jeremiah Cobb. However, outside of Cobb (who just announced he’s returning to Auburn), there were major question marks in the backfield.

Cobb averaged nearly six yards per carry and over 80 yards per game. No other running back totaled more than 130 rushing yards on the entire season. Golesh and his staff clearly understood they needed to add some help there. Not anymore.

Auburn finally landed a top talent that didn’t play for USF last year, and it was a huge splash acquisition. Bryson Washington, a special running back talent with around 2,000 yards from scrimmage and 20 touchdowns over the last two seasons, has committed to the Auburn Tigers. This immediately gives the Tigers one of the best one-two punches at running back in the entire country.

What Bryson Washington should bring to Auburn Tigers’ offense

Washington exploded onto the college football scene in 2024 with over 1,200 total yards, averaging over six yards per touch. He was explosive, decisive, balanced, and consistent.

This past season didn’t go as smoothly as Baylor struggled as an entire team, far more than the previous year. However, he still outpaced his teammates on the ground and operated as the focal point of the Bears’ offense. Washington should star in the SEC with a slightly better offensive line in front of him.

Washington doesn’t bring the same game-breaking speed as Cobb, but he does bring feature-back size at 6-0 and nearly 220 pounds. The Auburn duo should be able to perform like a thunder-and-lightning combination in 2026. Cobb will likely see more passing down and between-the-20s work. Washington will see a ton of early-down work and red-zone carries, thanks to his strength and vision, which almost never result in a negative play.

When this new Auburn offense combines Washington and Cobb with the talents of mobile quarterback Byrum Brown, SEC defenses will likely be in trouble. The former USF quarterback tallied over 1,000 rushing yards last season by himself. Add in one of the best (if not the best) running back tandems in college football, and Auburn could start winning many more games.

We’ll be back with more Auburn Tigers coverage here at A to Z Sports soon. Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news.

Related Articles