Auburn football coach Alex Golesh revealed the biggest concern keeping him up at night before Week 1 against Baylor: leadership. With Byrum Brown and several Tigers emerging as leaders, Golesh explains why Auburn won't name permanent captains in 2026.
Alex Golesh has spent the entire offseason answering questions about the Auburn Tigers roster.
The offensive line, the rebuilt receiver room, the pass rush.
And the depth throughout the defense.
But heading into Week 1 against Baylor, there's something completely different that still concerns Auburn's new head coach.
Leadership.
And Golesh was pretty open about it during Monday's press conference.
"That would be the part that I think I probably spent more time on than anything else is trying to build that up," Golesh said.
Auburn certainly has players capable of becoming those leaders.
Golesh said Brown has really come out of his shell throughout the offseason and praised how he has led both on and off the field.
Cole Best has become one of the most important voices along Auburn's offensive line. Jeremiah Cobb has earned the right to lead because of how he works, even if Golesh admitted Cobb still doesn't want to talk much.
Keshaun Singleton and Chas Nimrod have also stepped into larger leadership roles.
Then there's Omar Mabson, who was voted onto Auburn's leadership council and isn't afraid to speak up despite being one of the younger players on the roster.
There are options defensively, too.
Golesh mentioned Elijah Melendez, Da'Shawn Womack, Bryce Deas, Xavier Atkins, Champ Anthony, Eric Winters and Rayshawn Pleasant as players Auburn has continued pushing to become more vocal.
But apparently Golesh still isn't completely satisfied.
"That's where I lose sleep," Golesh said.
Auburn isn't even naming permanent captains entering the season.
Golesh said he didn't feel comfortable selecting four or five players, putting a C on their chest and declaring them Auburn's leaders for the entire year.
Instead, Auburn will name captains each week.
Of course, leadership is a little more difficult to evaluate than whether Auburn fixed its offensive line or found another pass rusher.
You can't completely recreate what happens when Auburn gives up a touchdown, turns the football over, or suddenly finds itself trailing in the second half.
That's when Auburn will find out who its leaders actually are.
And Baylor could provide that opportunity pretty quickly.
Auburn appears deeper than it was a year ago. There are reasons to believe this roster has improved in several important areas.
But talent isn't Golesh's biggest concern right now.
It's who takes control when something goes wrong.
Auburn has plenty of candidates.
Now Golesh needs somebody to actually become that guy.
