Jeremiah Cobb Is Being Overlooked Entering 2026 Under Alex Golesh

The Auburn Tigers have one of the most underrated players in the SEC entering the 2026 season.

Despite nearly rushing for 1,000 yards last year and averaging 5.5 yards per carry, Jeremiah Cobb continues to be overlooked in preseason conversations surrounding the conference's top running backs. Whether it's preseason All-SEC teams, national rankings, or discussions about the best offensive weapons in the league, Cobb rarely seems to get the recognition many believe he deserves.

Recently, Cobb made the Phil Steele All-SEC preseason list, coming in at 4th team, despite his production the year prior. 

Part of that comes from Auburn's recent struggles.

The Tigers have not had a winning season since 2020 and have spent the last several years trying to regain their footing as a program. That reputation will hopefully change quickly with Alex Golesh. 

As for Cobb, his production should take a big step forward in 2026. He didn't become Auburn's featured running back until the second half of the last season. Even with limited opportunities early in the year, he still finished just shy of the 1,000-yard mark while proving to be one of the most explosive backs in the conference. Several running backs receiving more preseason hype simply had more opportunities and carries than Cobb did.

The first-year Auburn head coach has made it clear that he wants the Tigers to establish a physical offensive identity. Throughout his coaching career, Golesh has built offenses that rely heavily on the running game, and many expect that philosophy to continue on the Plains.

Last year at South Florida, Golesh's offense recorded 506 rushing attempts, and although quarterback Byrum Brown accounted for a good amount of that usage, and will likely do so as well for Auburn this upcoming season, the USF running back room was responsible for 60% of those carries. 

That is exactly why Cobb could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the coaching change.

If Auburn truly commits to becoming a run-first football team, Cobb has all the tools necessary to become one of the SEC's leading rushers, if not the very top.

Looking at this in a big picture type of way, Alex Golesh needs his running game to establish a successful identity in a massive way. Not just because it would help Auburn win football games, but because it would help validate the future of his recruiting efforts.

Golesh has already assembled one of the nation's top 2027 recruiting classes, including highly regarded running backs Myson Johnson Cook and Kingston Miles. Both prospects have bought into the vision that Auburn is selling. Players like Cobb and the rest of the Auburn running back room have to keep that belief alive.