Progrums

All for One: Auburn’s Running Back Renaissance

Larry Porter, Auburn’s new running backs coach under head coach Alex Golesh, intends to deploy every member of the backfield in 2026. Anchored by senior Jeremiah Cobb—who posted 969 yards and five touchdowns in 2025—the Tigers added USF transfer Nykahi Davenport and Baylor’s Bryson Washington, combining for over 1,300 yards last season, plus rising talents like Omar Mabson II. Porter insists on equal coaching and grading for everyone, from the star to the freshman, to ensure depth, fresh legs, and readiness when injuries inevitably strike. Off the field, the backs forge bonds through cooking and life lessons, building a brotherhood that Porter believes will translate into seamless chemistry and resilience for the season ahead.

Auburn’s plan to “use the whole room” sounds more like the world’s most democratic talent show—complete with mandatory fish-frying lessons—than a college football offense. One can almost picture Porter handing out midterm grades on jigsaw-puzzle completion and mandatory trust falls between reps. Who needs tailbacks when you have a full ensemble cast ready to rotate through the lineup like it’s Hamilton on Broadway? If an ankle tweak sidelines Cobb, fret not: No one on Porter’s watch is ever benched in spirit. Auburn’s backfield is about to become the most inclusive, politically correct, and ironically synchronized juggling act on the gridiron—where the only thing deeper than the depth chart is the emotional connection forged over perfectly grilled tilapia.