Alex Golesh has been clear about the offensive identity of the Auburn Tigers: run the ball early, often and effectively. He has certainly built a running back room to match, though one transfer may just stand above the rest.Bryson Washington was a name that many Tiger fans were nervous to read about this time last year, particularly since he was set to be the starting running back for the Baylor Bears, with whom the Tigers played their first game in 2025.Since that season, though, Washington has transferred to the program that took down his Bears last year, 38-24, in a game where he rushed for 54 yards on 14 carries against one of the stoutest Auburn rushing defenses to date.Bryson Washington rushed for 54 yards for Baylor against Auburn last season. | Chris Jones-Imagn ImagesTurning back the clock a bit, Washington was a three-star prospect coming out of Franklin, Tx., back in 2023, and he committed to the Bears as the 42nd-best athlete in the class, a designation that means he was quite effective at multiple positions in high school. That factor may come into play in the Tigers’ offense this year.Throughout his first three seasons with the Bears, Washington rushed for a combined 1,861 yards and 18 touchdowns, headlined by a 2024 season in which he rushed for 1,028 yards and 12 touchdowns. He struggled with a host of minor injuries in 2025, but still managed to string together 788 yards and six touchdowns in the campaign that ultimately was his last in Texas.Now a redshirt junior and an Auburn Tiger, Washington is projected to be Jeremiah Cobb’s immediate backup in a Tiger offense that is expected to lean heavily on the rushing attack through a variety of channels. Byrum Brown, the Tigers’ new quarterback, currently leads the team in career rushing yards, while Washington follows second before Cobb, a senior returner to the Tigers and Golesh’s projected starter, brings up the rear with 1,283 yards.Golesh seems to have built a three-headed backfield monster for his offense in 2026, and Washington will certainly get his minutes in this new and redefined Auburn offense. Additionally, he should have a much easier time avoiding injury, as the depth of Auburn’s backfield leaves plenty of room for rest and rejuvenation whenever necessary.Washington will wear No. 30 in the Tigers’ backfield in 2026, and if he has a season reminiscent of his 2024 campaign with Baylor, he may just eclipse 30 career rushing touchdowns to match the number on the back of his jersey before the season is over.Sign up for our free Auburn Tigers newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news!Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow