With a staggering $25 million transfer portal war chest, new head coach Alex Golesh is making it pretty clear this rebuild will be fast and aggressive. After years of uncertainty under Hugh Freeze, Auburn lost key playmakers heading into the 2026 season. However, the program finally tries to build a better roster, correcting past mistakes.

“I think maybe it was a little hopeful on our parts to think that they would retain more than they have,” host of Locked On UCF Podcast Mike Gittens said on That SEC Podcast. “Honestly, if you’re John Cohen, I think what you’re discovering right now is how deeply toxic the previous culture truly was and why you had to change coaches.

He has not bashed Hugh Freeze, since Freeze has left, and he’s kind of taken like, I can’t tell you why it didn’t work.”

The Tigers are facing massive roster turnover this offseason, with around 30 players expected to enter the transfer portal, including 20 former high school signees and 19 blue-chip prospects. This creates an urgent need for Alex Golesh to replace them with exceptional talent.

That kind of retention needs a massive investment, and that’s precisely why Auburn is investing $25 million in the 2026 roster. Even Penn State is investing $30 million in Matt Campbell’s roster. Auburn fell quickly under Hugh Freeze, despite arriving with complete resources, including a NIL operation and back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes in 2024 and 2025.

Despite that, he struggled with roster management. The quarterback decision haunted Freeze throughout his tenure.

He chose Payton Thorne in 2023, despite some concerns and Thorne’s challenges; he then retained Thorne for a second season, even when players such as Cam Ward sought to transfer.

Later, he recruited Jackson Arnold from Oklahoma, despite watching his game against Alabama.

It all went into four losing seasons at Auburn. Even the locker room tension and internal atmosphere turned toxic as Freeze publicly criticized his players for spending more time on social media.

Their culture suffered a significant setback following several high-profile player arrests, like tight end Hollis Davidson III for drug charges. Even Freeze faced criticism for prioritizing a golf outing while other coaches were focusing on recruiting. With years of promises and no outcome, even players started to lose interest in playing for the program.

That’s precisely why Auburn’s QB room is totally empty. As they only have Rhys Brush, while they lost Ashton Daniels, Deuce Knight, and Jackson Arnold to the transfer portal.

Even at running back, the Tigers lost Damari Alston and Justin Jones, and the wide receiver position also took a significant hit as they lost Cam Coleman, Cam’Ron King, Horatio Fields, Malcolm Simmons, Perry Thompson, and Sam Turner to the portal. They do have returning receivers like Bryce Cain, Duke Smith, Eric Singleton Jr., and Erick Smith, but they still need experienced players.

The most vulnerable position is the offensive line, and Alex Golesh is ensuring they add key players.

Alex Golesh earns a major recruiting visit

The transfer portal has officially opened, and Alex Golesh isn’t wasting time to make an impact. They got an on-campus visit from Oklahoma State offensive tackle Grant Seagren this weekend as a part of early portal activity. Seagren entered the portal after Mike Gundy’s exit.

Now, with Auburn, he plans to visit his own school, Oklahoma State, Northwestern, and Arkansas in the coming week. So, it’s far from easy for Alex Golesh and his team to lure him away. He started his college career as a walk-on tight end at Nebraska before moving to Oklahoma State.

Later on, he bulked up and switched to offensive tackle. Then mid-season, he entered the portal.

Despite that, he finished the season with the Cowboys, which shows his loyalty towards the team he plays for. This is what Auburn needs right now.

“While I was in the portal, I got an agent for that whole process,” Seagren told 247Sports’ McClain Baxley back in November. “I haven’t had a single conversation, really, with any teams or anybody like that. The goal is to always come back. It’s kind of like having car insurance—just because you have it doesn’t mean you want to wreck your car.”

Auburn’s already facing a thin depth at the offensive line, with four of their starters running out of eligibility; they need key players on the team. Additionally, Connor Lew and Xavier Chaplin have the NFL draft approaching. So, just two starters are returning, making the urge even stronger.

Now, let’s wait and see if Alex Golesh brings Oklahoma State’s star into the team.