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Huntsville Times Long snapper is the only position on special teams where Auburn had to replace a starter . . . Golesh is getting his first taste of what his new Auburn program could look like in Year 1, and it's drumming up some excitement . . . It's Durkin's third year on the Plains, but his first under a new head coach and a reshuffled defensive staff. With that comes plenty of change and plenty of questions going into spring ball . . . The Tigers dealt with a great deal of roster turnover and were quite active in the portal following a coaching change. Golesh unsurprisingly secured some familiar talent from South Florida, his previous job, including arguably the most vital addition, Byrum Brown . . . Auburn signed 14 offensive linemen this offseason between freshmen and transfers, and a handful of those will compete for starting spots right away . . . With all the new players coming in, a handful of positions will be up for grabs . . . Ellis only made two starts at center before senior tackle Mason Murphy shifted over to the position, but Lew still believes the future is bright for his young former teammate . . . The Tigers signed 60 total new players. Thirty-nine of those newcomers were signed out of the transfer portal, while the remaining 21 are either incoming freshmen or JUCO transfers. For Auburn fans, keeping up with all the new numbers while following along could be a challenge this spring and fall . . . Banks won't be the one calling the defense at Auburn, but given his experience, he can be a good resource for defensive coordinator DJ Durkin . . . The Tigers also ranked third in the SEC in rushing defense in league games (102.6) with four of their seven conference games coming against the top four rushing teams in SEC play . . . Auburn should be as good as anyone in the SEC at the safety position this fall . . . Giving Cain open space on the majority of his catches makes him an extremely dangerous weapon for the Auburn offense . . . The defensive line saw heavy turnover with eight players from the 2025 unit leaving the program. Auburn filled those holes through the transfer portal and high school ranks, but the portal acquisitions will likely play the biggest roles . . . Golesh's background of producing prolific offenses should provide instant help on the Plains. The Tigers have not finished higher than ninth in the SEC in scoring over the last six seasons . . . Autry and Smith received a handful of opportunities, but 2026 could be the first year for them rotational players . . . "They are smart. They are relentless. Football is extremely important to them . . . Chris Kapilovic, who was fired at Alabama on Jan. 23, will be an analyst at Auburn this coming season . . . "We're going to run the piss out of the ball . . . Auburn ranked 129th out of 136 FBS teams in sacks allowed . . . While his passing might be a work in progress at the SEC level, his physical running will help set a much higher floor than the Auburn units of years past . . . The Tigers return their punter, place kicker, kickoff specialist and kick returner, only having to replace long snapper and punt returner . . . The backup to Brown last season at USF, Hewlett comes to Auburn with experience in the system after playing in two games in 2025 for the Bulls . . . Pleasant's passer rating when targeted was also lower than Auburn's two starters, giving more merit to what Van Dyke said about Pleasant's production increasing with more snaps . . . Pleasant finished with 16 tackles and added a pair of interceptions in a win at Arkansas. That experience in the defense and his talent have Van Dyke excited about keeping Pleasant on the Plains . . . With Durkin already being in the building, Banks may be the most intriguing addition to the staff. He was fired from Tennessee following the 2025 season . . . "We're a very talented group, but very unproven . . . He is scheduled for an official visit to Auburn on June 19 . . . The USF attack of last year should make the Tigers rock . . . Singleton was the last USF receiver to sign with Auburn last weekend after totaling 50 receptions, 877 yards and eight touchdowns for the Bulls in 2025 . . . Auburn will officially begin spring practice on March 17, and it will conclude with the A-Day Spring Game on April 18 . . . "We want to win, want to win, want to win . . . "Once Coach Golesh got there I felt a different vibe and things were going the right way. I feel like it's going to be a very special year . . . He becomes the second commitment of the Alex Golesh era in the 2027 class . . . The Tigers' new coaching staff have had a few months to bring in 60 new players from the transfer portal and through high school recruiting. However, Auburn coaches have also been impressed with what they have seen so far from the players who stayed . . . Donivan Moore, a four-star defensive lineman from Hueytown, announced his commitment to Auburn . . .
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