How Auburn is building for the future with its offensive line class

By Peter Rauterkus | prauterkus@al.comThe question clearly frustrated Alex Golesh. His answer led with, “That’s a question you probably know the answer to.”It was the Monday after Auburn’s 44-39 loss to Florida. The Tigers gave up seven sacks in that game, and the offensive line was taking heat from every direction in the aftermath of that performance.Golesh was asked if he and the staff knew who their five best offensive linemen were, and the answer was no. It also seemed to be the first public, in-season realization that the Tigers’ offensive line didn’t have the talent to be a good unit in the SEC in Year 1.Auburn didn’t enter this season in a position to be good up front. That’s typically what happens when you return just three offensive linemen and lose all five starters.Good offensive linemen in the transfer portal are pricy. Given Auburn had to rebuild the majority of the roster through the portal last season, signing 10 or even just five SEC-caliber offensive linemen in the portal was going to be nearly impossible.Even if Auburn had unlimited money, the offensive line is a developmental position. Many of the best units get to be that way by spending multiple seasons playing and developing together.Take Auburn in 2010, for example. That was one of the best offensive lines in the program’s recent history and helped lead the team to a national title.Four of the five starters on that offensive line were seniors. All four of those seniors had started for Auburn the year before too. Two of them were in their third season as starters up front.That kind of development and chemistry doesn’t happen overnight. With that in mind, the offensive line was always going to be a weakness in Year 1 of the Golesh era.In turn, Golesh’s plan to “run the piss out of the ball” was always going to be challenging this season. But if you look at how he and the staff are building their first recruiting class, that vision is still guiding it.Following the commitment of blue-chip prospect Jatori Williams from nearby Central High School in Phenix City, Auburn’s 2027 recruiting class has five offensive linemen committed to it. Two of them, Williams and four-star tackle Layton Van Brandt, are top 100 prospects.Central-Phenix City's Jatori Williams (69) warms up before an AHSAA football game against Auburn High Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett | preps@al.com)Julie Bennett | preps@al.comEarly Signing Day is still a little under a month away, but if this group holds, the offensive line will have a solid foundation going forward. The five-man offensive line class would come a year after Auburn signed four offensive linemen, a class Golesh and the staff scrambled to finalize in under a week after arriving on the Plains.Even with this season’s group, there’s been a shift toward playing players who will be around next season. Auburn’s Week 1 starting five on the offensive line consisted of Jo Simmons, Jacob Strand, Cole Best, Cole Skinner and Stanton Ramil. Four of those five players are out of eligibility after this season.Two weeks ago against Ole Miss, Ramil, Kenneth McManus IV, Best, Jacobe’ Ward and Wilson Zierer made up the starting lineup. Four of those five can return next season and three of them are underclassmen.It’s unclear how many, if any, of the five offensive linemen in Auburn’s 2027 class will play significant snaps next season. As mentioned above, offensive line is a developmental position and true freshman rarely play in the SEC.But that group, along with the 2026 offensive line signing class, will likely make up the foundation for the most important position group on the field under Golesh. Having multiple top 100 players in that class gives Auburn’s struggling offensive line hope.Peter Rauterkus is an Auburn Sports Reporter for AL.com covering football, basketball and all things Auburn sports. He joined AL.com in July 2024. Prior to joining the sports staff at AL.com, Peter spent time...