Omar Mabson emerged as one of the biggest winners from Auburn's first fall camp press conference. Alex Golesh and OC Joel Gordon both went out of their way to praise the sophomore running back, signaling he could be RB2 behind Jeremiah Cobb entering the 2026 season.
Fall camp is officially underway for the Auburn Tigers.
On Tuesday, head coach Alex Golesh and both coordinators spoke to the media to launch fall camp on the Plains.
As plenty of positions are still yet to be determined with just over one month left before week one kickoff against the Baylor Bears, one of the biggest storylines entering Auburn's fall camp is the depth behind running back Jeremiah Cobb.
During Tuesday's press conference, we might have already received a sneak peek at how the coaches view that position group.
When both Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon were asked about the running back room, the conversation naturally started with Jeremiah Cobb. The clear Auburn starter has changed his physical appearance to be more of a presence inside the SEC this season and to carry a bigger workload.
However, that conversation quickly pivoted to one of the youngest players on the roster, Omar Mabson. The way that each coach found their way discussing Mabson was fascinating because they were not asked specifically about him. Both coaches volunteered and did so with nearly identical praise.
Golesh admitted the coaching staff didn't know exactly what they had when they first arrived on the Plains. Now, the sophomore has become impossible to ignore.
"He doesn't say a whole lot, but he's on a mission to win a job," Golesh said. "He just keeps showing us why he should play."
Joel Gordon echoed nearly every one of those thoughts.
Rather than simply complimenting Mabson's athletic ability, Gordon pointed toward everything the sophomore has done behind the scenes since the new staff arrived.
"Mabson has been as consistent as anybody on our side of the ball," Gordon said. "He loves Auburn. He works his butt off... He's a great teammate. He's a leader for us."
As we continue to figure out what is important to Golesh when building the identity and culture at Auburn. One thing is starting to take shape: how players view their love for the university and the program. It appears that Omar Mabson fits that mold.
Regardless of the praise, the running back competition is still far from over. Golesh said he wants five or six running backs to compete and add reps throughout camp before narrowing down the rotation to prevent injury closer to the season. Ideally, the head coach stated that the Tigers want enough depth to have "three and a half running backs ready every game," while Gordon joked he'd rather have four.
One thing is still for certain, though: Jeremiah Cobb still enters camp as running back one, but if there is one player whose stock clearly rose after Tuesday's media availability, it is surely Omar Mabson.
Other running backs that are expected to battle for the spot behind Cobb are Baylor Bears transfer Bryson Washington, Nakai Davenport, who followed Golesh from South Florida, Troy transfer Tae Meadows, as well as Alvin Henderson.
Players have reported to campus on Tuesday and will begin practice on Wednesday. For the first 13 days of fall camp before classes begin, the entire roster will stay at the Marriott Resort Grand National in Opelika to continue strengthening the culture and quickly setting the standard of the new coaching staff's message.
