Compared to last season, there’s a lot more excitement around the Auburn football program, and it comes from the top with new head coach Alex Golesh.
The Tigers recently found out their rating for the College Football 27 video game, which is set to come out later this summer. EA Sports, the developer, also released different rankings like crowd impact and initial player ratings, for some of the superstars in the sport.
Perhaps Auburn needs to come out hot in the 2026 season if it wants its rating changed, as the Tigers are 83-rated in the game. That’s one lower than where they were last season. While names like Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton Jr. on different teams play a factor, it leaves the program with something to prove next season.
Offense:
2025 Rating: 85
2026 Rating: 86
Auburn’s offense is expected to be better next season, both on the field and in-game, and it comes from the overhaul that Golesh brought through the transfer portal. That includes a plethora of players that he brought with him from USF.
The main man will be quarterback Byrum Brown, who had a strong fourth season with the Bulls, to record over 4,000 total yards in 2025. He played a factor in Auburn’s number, similar to how Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold influenced the program last season.
A handful of USF receivers will help the offense, while Jeremiah Cobb is expected to be the lead back on offense. Baylor transfer Bryson Washington and USF transfer Nykahi Davenport will surely help, too. Meanwhile, Golesh will hope that his transfer center from his old school, Cole Best, helped lead an offensive line with some returning pieces.
There’s a lot of upside on this Auburn offense; it will be if Golesh can put it all together in just his first year.
Defense:
2025 Rating: 84
2026 Rating: 80
Last season, the Tigers’ defense was the unit that helped keep it in games. DJ Durkin’s group was seventh in the SEC last season in points allowed, with only 20.67 points per game.
It’s an impressive number for a team with so much change midseason. However, Auburn lost plenty of different players and three players on the defensive line were selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.
That includes edge rushers Kendric Faulk and Keyron Crawford, meaning Durkin will have to rely on returners like Jared Smith. Defensive tackle Bobby Jamison-Travis is gone, but Auburn picked up Arkansas State transfer Cody Sigler to help fill the hole.
The big player on defense will be linebacker Xavier Atkins, who has already received national attention for preseason honors thus far. Perhaps he is the highest-rated player on the team when everything is revealed.
Both returners with something to prove and transfers will need to answer the call if the Tigers want to be just as good as they were on defense. With Durkin at the helm, it’s very possible.
Stadium Ranking: 14
Welcome to Jordan-Hare 🏟️🦅
No. 14 toughest place to play in #CFB27@EASPORTSCollege | #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/8cIl1EJDmk— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) June 22, 2026
With the game’s trademarked “stadium pulse” gimmick, Auburn will have some pull when playing at Jordan-Hare Stadium, being the 14th-toughest place to play in the game if one is playing against the Tigers.
It doesn’t come as a shock; Auburn typically has one of the loudest environments in college football for quite some time. As does the rest of the SEC, with nine of the 20 teams that were revealed in the ranking coming from the conference.
The Tigers have major home games on the schedule that will need that noise against the SEC, namely LSU, Florida and Vanderbilt. Especially if the program gets one win against any of those teams, it will be a step in the right direction for Golesh in his first season.
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