John Reed-Imagn Images
By Chris Marler
Auburn saw a mass exodus of their roster once Hugh Freeze was fired. There was some initial panic considering the amount of blue chip talent that was included in the players lost, but Alex Golesh was able to weather the storm and finish with the No. 12 ranked class on 247Sports.
Here’s a closer look at Auburn’s portal class with some help from Zac Blackerby the host of LockedOn Auburn.
By the Numbers
- Players Lost: 37
- Players Gained: 39
- On3 Ranking: 65
- 247Sports Ranking: 12
Headliner – QB Byrum Brown (South Florida)
While Sam Leavitt and Brendan Sorsby commanded most of the attention at the quarterback position in this year’s portal cycle, Brown was one of the highest ranked players at the position despite somewhat flying under the radar. Brown was the No. 14 ranked player in the portal according to On3 and the No. 5 ranked quarterback.
He has a ton of experience and has been a three year starter at South Florida. That includes two seasons with over 4,000 yards of offense and a 3,000 yard passing and 1,000 yard rushing campaign in 2025. He was the starter for Golesh all three years in Tampa, and no one will understand, or command, the offense better than him in year one at Auburn.
“I’m not gonna say that he’s gonna have another 3,000-yard passing and 1,000-yard rushing this year in the SEC but if he does, you can put another Heisman in that facility.”@SWiltfong_ with high praises for what @AuburnFootball can be with transfer QB Byrum Brown! https://t.co/D1K1ryg5ps pic.twitter.com/XdqpP7iGPt
— McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning (@macandcube) January 23, 2026
Biggest Loss – WR Cam Coleman (to Texas)
Coleman is a former five-star and one of the most gifted wide receivers in the country. Coleman was going to be one of the most sought after players in the portal no matter what happened with the coaching change.
The price tag that came with him was going to be the big question. During the season it was speculated that Coleman would garner an NIL package in the range of $3 million if he chose to enter the portal. Once he did, sources around LSU said the asking price was $3.5 million and sources around Auburn said they offered $3.3 million with incentives that could make the deal reach up to $4 million. He ultimately chose Texas and will be a weapon for the Longhorns.
We get Jeremiah Smith vs Cam Coleman this September in Austin 🔥 pic.twitter.com/KIJK7aiHi8
— Won’t Delete This Until OU Scores (@Doc_Texas) January 12, 2026
Instant Impact – WR Keshaun Singleton (South Florida)
Singleton is a former three star from Norcross, Georgia and Meadowcreek High School who spent the last two seasons in Tampa with South Florida. He was their leading receiver this year with 50 receptions and 877 yards. He also poured in eight touchdowns. Perhaps more impressive than all of that was his 17.54 yards per catch, which was third best in the American Conference. He’s a big bodied receiver at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds and should pick up where he left off under Golesh’s offense at Auburn.
“Keshaun Singleton is primed to be the guy in the Auburn passing attack this season. Golesh’s leading receiver from a season ago, he will look to be the primary option in a situation that features the same QB, OC, and HC” – Blackerby
BREAKING: On3’s @PeteNakos has logged an expert prediction for 𝗔𝘂𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻 to land WR Keshaun Singleton from USF.
The talented 6’3 wideout had 50 catches for 877 yds and 8 TDs this year under Golesh.
— NCAA Transfer Portal 🌐 (@PortalPredict) January 4, 2026
Biggest Sleeper – TE Jake Johnson (North Carolina)
Johnson, the brother of former LSU quarterback Max Johnson, is another veteran presence that was brought in from the portal. This will be Johnson’s fifth year in college. His production has fallen off a little from his sophomore campaign at Texas A&M when he had 24 catches for 235 yards and four touchdowns. He should see a big uptick in targets in Golesh’s offense.
“Jake Johnson brings much needed experience to a tight end room that was decimated during the offseason. Golesh’s offenses like to run with tempo and he likes to use tight ends who can play in multiple spots on the forked. Johnson brings a ton of ability and a safety valve for Brown entering 2026.” – Blackerby
UNC TE Jake Johnson plans to enter the transfer portal.
He spent two seasons in Chapel Hill and totaled 18 receptions for 165 yards and one touchdown. https://t.co/0TKY9B3QYw pic.twitter.com/oM4sjPPnyh
— Chris Smith (@chrismithunc) December 9, 2025
Overall Grade – B
Alex Golesh took the Curt Cignetti route and did the copy and paste method from his roster at South Florida to Auburn. Cignetti took 13 players from James Madison with him to Indiana and several became key starters that helped lead the Hoosiers to a 27-2 record in the first two seasons and a national championship. Golesh took the exact same amount of players from South Florida. Will he see a similar result? We shall see.
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