Week 3 Preview: Florida Gators (2-0, 0-0) v. Auburn Tigers (2-0, 0-0)

Jon Sumrall and the Gators head to hostile territory for a historic trip to Jordan-Hare.

By Loren Meadows GatorBaitMedia.com, Football Analyst, Host of The Gator Lowdown with Loren Meadows

While two schools could not be more closely linked, Florida and Auburn have only met four times since 2002. The rivalry conjures names like Spurrier, Sanders, Byrum, and most recently Perine for what it’s worth the 2026 edition looks to be set for another classic. Florida will find out what it’s made of as the mystique of Jordan-Hare after dark and a quarterback who has no reason to fear the Gators will be looking to put the Gators in their place for the second straight year. Sumrall comes with a get there, show up, play ball mentality that will need to resonate throughout his team for what is sure to be a savage get down on the plains.

Auburn Offense

Auburn Offensive Key Players #17 QB Byrum Brown (6-3, 235, Sr./USF), #5 WR Chaz Nimrod (6-2, 200, Sr./USF) , #11 WR Keyshaun Singleton (6-3, 220, Jr./USF), #4 WR Jeremiah Koger (6-3, 213, So.), #23 RB Jeremiah Cobb (5-11, 205, Sr.), #29 RB Omar Mabsen (5-9, 215, So.)

Key Matchups: Byrum Brown v. Myles Graham, Florida Defensive Line v. Auburn Offensive Line

Offensively tempo, tempo, and more tempo is the name of the game for Auburn. Alex Golesh has brought his physical brand of the Art Briles Baylor system to Auburn to recreate his success at USF. To do so, he brought his own lunch to work in the form of quarterback Byrum Brown and three of his top targets from Tampa. Brown has thrown for over 8000 yards and rushed for 2,000 in four years of college football. While his 2026 has begun a little slower than expected, his ability to extend plays, make off schedule throws, and finish runs like a tailback is a problem for opposing defenses. It was Brown’s legs that were the catalyst for an 80-yard final drive that helped Brown and USF knock of the Gators at home last season, and why Brad White and company will need to have their ducks in a row to corral Brown when he looks to get downhill on designed runs and scrambles.

The trio of Chaz Nimrod, Keyshaun Singleton, and Jeremiah Koger also play a major role in the Auburn attack. All spent last year with Brown at USF and it seems that that familiarity has already paid dividends as they have 28 catches between them in the first two contests. Singleton scored the only USF touchdown in last year’s upset and looks to have picked up where he left off in 2026. Nimrod is the elder statesmen of the group and brings SEC pedigree with stop at Tennessee prior to his time at USF. Brown has also developed a rapport with transfer tight end Jake Johnson and is supported in the running game by Jeremiah Cobb, and Auburn native Omar Mabsen who play bigger than their stature and collectively average over 100 yards per game.

Brad White’s defense has taken it on the chin from some pundits that feel the sky is falling on the defensive side of the ball despite the Gators giving up just 12 points per game this season. Despite the thoughts of those outside the program White was extremely confident when talking about where his defense is and what he believes their potential could be. Auburn presents a lot of challenges with the way they run tempo and spread you out to get the running game going. Look for Florida to be extremely diverse in coverage and pressures to not allow Brown easy outs to elude pressure and force Florida to chase. Whether Florida uses a spy on defense or not, getting Brown on the ground in space is the order of the day. The defensive backfield has been attacked in the first two weeks but have not broken. If the Gators can manage third downs and force punts it offers opportunities in the return game as well as managing field position that in turn feeds a running game that will need to be effective to control time of possession. The more Brown is on the sidelines the better. 

Auburn Defense

Auburn Defensive Key Players: #17 LB Xavier Atkins (6-0, 210, Jr.) #9 LB Elijah Melendez (6-0, 240, So.), #5 Safety Eric Winters (6-0, 215, So.), #4 CB Rayshawn Pleasant (5-11, 200, Sr.), #8 Safety Kaleb Harris (6-1, 204, Jr.)

Matchups to Watch: DJ Durkin v. Buster Faulkner, Jaden Baugh v. Xavier Atkins and Elijah Melendez

Defensive coordinator DJ Durkin is in his third season as defensive coordinator at Auburn and has a unit that may be his best to date. Durkin’s unit is one of the best in the country and like Florida are surrendering just 12 points per game while holding opponents to 76.5 yards rushing per game. Where there may be cause for concern is in the passing game where Auburn ranks last in the SEC giving up 252 yards per game in their first two games including 333 yards to former Florida quarterback DJ Lagway and Baylor.

The Florida offense should offer more of a challenge than Baylor did in week one with names like Baugh, Brown, and Wilson to name a few. To cool the Gators off Durkin will turn to a pair of linebackers that are two of the SEC’s best. Xavier Atkins and Elijah Melendez have been excellent to begin the season. Atkins, a preseason All-American candidate led the SEC in tackles for loss with 17 in 2025, and is on pace to increase that total this season. Melendez leads the team in total tackles and is an emerging star. The Orlando native was a member of the SEC All Freshman Team and at 240 packs a punch when coming downhill. While there have been challenges on the back end safeties Eric Winters and Kaleb Harris have been stout in the box. Winters was the hero of the Baylor game with the game saving tackle on the final play and Harris brings experience to the unit. Corner Rayshawn Pleasant will most likely be charged with following Dallas Wilson to at least neutralize one of the Florida receivers that Buster Faulkner doesn’t move around as much as others.

The collisions in this game are must see TV. Jaden Baugh meeting Melendez in the hole will be WWE, UFC, and good ole backyard football rolled into one. Then for the bonus round Atkins and Baugh meeting in the backfield will be physicality on steroids. The Gators will most certainly let it all hang out on Saturday and will look to stress the eye discipline of Winters and Harris who are looking to drop the hammer as opposed to chasing the talented plethora of Gator pass catchers. This will be the first SEC road start for quarterback Aaron Philo who will at least have the security blanket of Faulkner’s offense that has been ingrained into his mind for the last three years. Florida will need to establish a running game but not die trying, while allowing Philo the opportunity to throw but not at the expense of the defense that can ill afford short fields. I believe Aaron Philo at Florida to be better than DJ Lagway at Baylor. Maybe not on raw talent but the system is much more established and a potential Heisman candidate lines up next to him on almost every play. That could be the difference.

The Skinny: There are many story lines that make this game far more interesting than just a rivalry that should exist every calendar year. Golesh was possibly Auburn’s second or even third choice. Sumrall was at the top of the wish list. Sumrall’s wife went to Auburn, although she knows exactly who pays the mortgage. Brown and Golesh possibly set in motion the coaching change at Florida 51 weeks ago with an upset of the Gators. The coaches are friends but not for four hours Saturday evening. This is a statement game for two programs that have a rich history of hoisting both team and individual trophies and fan bases that are chomping at the bit to get back to that very thing. Ultimately it will come down to the line of scrimmage with offensive and defensive lines that lack a lot of star power but hold the key to who walks away from the field victorious. Florida is getting two sacks per game, while Auburn is getting two and a half. Auburn gives up three sacks a game where no quarterback at Florida has been laid to the turf yet. There may be the rub, Philo stays clean and outplays Brown who throws it to the other team two more times. Baugh rushes for less than 100 but Wilson and Brown come up big with one TD catch each as Florida gets the win.

Prediction: Florida Gators 27 Auburn 20