Auburn Loses Star Cornerback to Transfer Portal
Jay Crawford, a key cornerback for the Auburn Tigers, has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, becoming the 14th player to depart since Alex Golesh’s arrival. Crawford, a sophomore who logged 11 tackles, four passes defended, and an interception in 2025 despite a knee injury, joins Raion Strader in exiting the Plains. With the portal window open from Jan. 2–16, Auburn faces a hole at cornerback, leaving Kayin Lee and Rayshawn Pleasant atop the depth chart. Freshmen Blake Woodby and Donovan Starr are next in line, while Golesh will hope for portal magic to replenish his secondary.
Nothing screams “new coach, new chaos” like watching half your roster vanish through the transfer window. It’s as if Golesh handed out eviction notices instead of playbooks—“Congratulations, you’re free to roam!’ And our dear Jay? He’s off seeking greener pastures because nothing says “stability” like shaky recruiter promises. The Tigers’ defense is now a game of musical chairs, except when the music stops, everyone’s already sprinted to the door. Rumor has it the new coaching staff is offering handshakes in place of scholarships—pure magician’s misdirection.
Hitting the Pro Level: Auburn Linebacker Dives into NFL Draft
Keyron Crawford, Auburn’s 6-foot-4, 255-pound linebacker, has declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. After recording 36 tackles, five sacks, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and an interception in 2025—earning Third Team All-SEC honors—Crawford will join teammate Keldrick Faulk as draft entrants. A former Arkansas State transfer, he amassed 58 tackles and 6.5 sacks there. Projected as the 10th-best outside linebacker by Mel Kiper Jr., Crawford may go late or sign as an undrafted free agent, but Auburn faithful know he’ll outwork every opponent.
Ah, the NFL Draft declaration—a modern ritual where college kids panic‐announce “I’m ready for greatness!” before NFL scouts collectively shrug. Meanwhile, Auburn fans frantically Google “undrafted free agent success stories” as if that’s a comfort blanket. Keyron’s exit is sweet revenge against Mondays, textbooks, and spring practice. He’ll swap Auburn’s orange and blue for an NFL team’s worse uniform, all for the glorious promise of minimum-wage contracts and 53-man roster scramble. But hey, at least he won’t get tackled by his chemistry professor anymore.
Auburn Ex-OC Swaps Plains for Roll Tide
After Alex Golesh’s hiring wiped out Hugh Freeze’s staff, Derrick Nix—offensive coordinator and RB coach—was shown the door. Reports now place Nix joining Alabama as wide receivers coach. A long-time SEC assistant from Ole Miss, Nix briefly improved Auburn’s late-season offense in 2025 under Freeze’s watch, but was sidelined after a 10-3 loss to Kentucky. Golesh, instead, has installed Joel Gordon as play-caller. Nix’s move to the arch-rival underscores Auburn’s full coaching housecleaning.
Behold the ultimate betrayal: your favorite OC—once waving pompoms for Auburn—is now arming crimson armies across the state line. It’s less “siding with the enemy” and more “boarding the Titanic after it’s hit the iceberg.” Nix’s switch is the college football equivalent of dating your ex’s sibling—awkward, scandalous, and guaranteed to start family feuds. Meanwhile, Golesh scrubs every Freeze memory like a crime scene cleaner on speed. At this point, the Tigers aren’t just revamping; they’re running the SEC’s most elaborate witness protection program.
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