Why Tristan Ti'a Could Be Auburn's Most Important Backup in 2026

The Auburn Tigers have plenty of new members inside their football program heading into the upcoming season. With the arrival of new head coach Alex Golesh, the Tigers roster completed a big overhaul, especially on the offensive side. 

The quarterback room is filled with brand new talent entering the new season. Although starter Byrum Brown, who followed Golesh from South Florida to the Plains, is set for a breakout season, one of the most interesting stories heading into the year is who will be listed behind him on the depth chart. 

Tristan Ti'a found Auburn as his home for the 2026 season after transferring from Oregon State this winter. He found limited playing time in games for arguably the worst team in college football in 2025, a program that fired its head coach in the middle of the season. Now he comes to Auburn to continue developing and potentially have a huge impact on the future of the Tigers following Brown. 

Ti'a enters fall camps as the projected backup, and his role may be more valuable than you think. 

Byrum Brown plays the game of football at a very physical level, almost to a fault. It's worked in his favor without question, passing for over 3,000 yards and rushing for over 1,000 last year in the American Conference. Still, he has had significant injuries in the past as well, raising concerns about the position's depth heading into the year. 

Brown broke his leg in 2024, and although he played the full season last year, the longevity questions still loom. This makes Ti'a one play away. During his limited time playing for Oregon State, the young quarterback had over a 70% completion percentage, proving the amount of upside he has, especially with a much more talented roster at Auburn compared to last year's squad in Corvallis. 

He should naturally see some time playing in game competition this season, non-conference, for instance, or blowout games, and if that's the only time he takes the field, it's a best-case scenario for the Tigers. 

This will still allow Ti's to continue developing behind the scenes as he learns Golesh's offense completely. And if he shows success in the limited time on the field, and most importantly, trust and confidence of the coaching staff during the season, Auburn may finally go an offseason without taking a quarterback out of the transfer portal. 

The way the 2027 class is shaping up thus far, and how many other positions that will need to be replenished after the season remain, the biggest win could be Auburn winning the season, believing they already have their quarterback of the future on the roster.

Even if Auburn hopes Ti'a never sees meaningful snaps, he must be ready because he could be forced into action at any moment. But when he does get in the game, even if it's a quarter late in the season when the Tigers are playing Samford, he has a prime opportunity to completely change the direction of the program if he finds success.