Auburn

Alex Golesh arrives on the Plains with a proven formula: explosive offensive tempo paired with the quarterback who made it work at South Florida. Byrum Brown, who generated 178.3 PPA for the Bulls, headlines a portal haul that added 356.7 PPA overall despite losing Jackson Arnold and Ashton Daniels to the transfer market. The Tigers grade out 25th nationally at +8.4 points per game, powered by a defense that ranks 16th (+6.0) while the offense sits at a pedestrian 50th (+1.2). Brown brings receivers Keshaun Singleton and Jeremiah Koger with him from USF, creating immediate chemistry in an attack that lost Cam Coleman to Texas but maintains structural continuity beyond the quarterback position.

JP+ projects 5.8 wins for Auburn in a rebuild year that masks significant upside if the new signal-caller adapts quickly to SEC speed. The gap between that modest projection and Auburn's talent ceiling reflects defensive front attrition and the inherent uncertainty of installing a new offensive system mid-conference arms race. Road trips to Georgia and Ole Miss loom as early measuring sticks, while home games against LSU and Arkansas offer chances to establish credibility. If Brown translates his explosive South Florida production to the SEC and Golesh's tempo creates the same havoc it did in Tampa, Auburn becomes a dangerous upset threat by October. If the transition stalls, this becomes a patient foundation year for what could be a formidable 2027 campaign.