Alex Golesh believes sophomore corner Gavin Jenkins has NFL potential, and SEC Media Days made it clear Auburn's coaching staff views him as a future cornerstone. Jenkins is emerging as one of the Tigers' top breakout candidates heading into the 2026 season.
SEC Media Days was an outstanding success for the Auburn Tigers, and it gave us a closer look at how the new head coach feels about some of his players on the roster before fall camp begins.
One conversation that really stood out is how sophomore cornerback Gavin Jenkins was discussed as potentially one of the breakout players on the roster heading into the new year.
He's not the biggest name in the secondary. Not yet.
But the more Alex Golesh talks about him, the harder it becomes to ignore what could be coming.
When Golesh was asked about Jenkins during SEC Media Days, he reportedly lit up. He immediately started talking about leadership before calling Jenkins an NFL player who simply hasn't played enough football yet.
That's a pretty strong statement from a coach who isn't known for handing out empty praise and is focused on building an identity of a new standard on the Plains.
"Talking about guys that have stepped up as leaders, for a young guy that hadn't played a lot of college football, that guy is slowly becoming the standard of our program too," Golesh said.
Calling a young player "the standard" seems like a pretty big deal when discussing a player like Jenkins. In fact, I believe that says everything you need to know about how Auburn's coaching staff views him.
This is someone who the coaching staff has had their eyes on for quite some time now, it's just the rest of us who have lagged behind. Golesh has believed in Jenkins since they signed him at South Florida. He admitted they thought they found a steal when they recruited him, and by the middle of last season they realized they had something special.
Now he's in Auburn's program, and that belief hasn't changed.
"I think Gavin is an NFL player," Golesh said. "How fast he gets there will be interesting."
It wasn't just the coach praising him either.
Champ Anthony, another defensive back on the team who was one of the players representing Auburn at Media Days, backed it up too. He didn't just talk about Jenkins' length and athleticism. He talked about the work. Being in the building early and staying late. It seems like a player a coach on this staff is going to elevate to and be offered opportunities because he earned them in practice.
Auburn already has experience at corner with Rayshawn Pleasant and Andre Jordan Jr., but Jenkins doesn't have to sit around waiting for the future. Golesh made it clear he expects him to compete for a rotational role immediately and potentially push for much more. Cornerback 3 might be where he starts the season, but don't be surprised if things change once SEC play begins a few weeks in.
