Jo Simmons has played a lot of college football.
And he likes what he's starting to see from the Auburn Tigers offensive line.
The Tigers are two weeks away from putting their full attention on the field in Atlanta against the Baylor Bears, but Simmons believes the biggest difference from spring to fall camp isn't necessarily one individual player. It's how Auburn's offensive line has started to gel together and find continuity despite the position battles.
"We've definitely taken big steps this summer, like continuity and just playing next to each other and just spending time with each other," Simmons said on a recent interview with The Top Button podcast.
And with everything new coming to the planes in 2026, that seems pretty important.
Auburn entered the offseason needing to rebuild its offensive line, and competitions are still happening throughout the group. Deryk Plazz and Jacob Strand have rotated at left guard next to Simmons, while Stanton Ramil's return has given Auburn another experienced player at tackle.
Having two players with that type of experience anchoring the offensive line is something that Simmons deems very important.
"There's so much savvy thing you could do as like an older guy that like helps you, and it's hard to get that experience without actually playing games," Simmons said.
While Alex Golesh and the rest of the Auburn offensive coaching staff continue to figure out who the five will be on the first snap of offense against the Baylor Bears, the offensive linemen are getting plenty of help from the other side of the football.
On the defense at the trenches, Simmons specifically mentioned two Auburn defenders who have made life difficult during fall camp.
Jared Smith was the first.
"For as big as he is, he's athletic as ever, and he could get off the ball," Simmons said.
Smith is a player who needs to take a huge step forward in 2026 because the DJ Durkin defense is relying on him. He is seen as the top edge rusher entering the season. If he can bring pressure to opponents' quarterbacks and allow the rest of the defense to flow freely, he truly has an opportunity to make an impact on every game as well as Auburn's win-loss total.
Then there's Darrion Smith, who is another example of a sophomore continuing to receive praise from just about everyone following the last few scrimmages.
"D Smith is like, he's been balling, man," Simmons said. "He's twitched up and like he's been all over the line."
For the first time in what feels like half a decade, the Auburn offense has competed in a good way against the Auburn defense in practice. The fact that they have challenged the other side shows a different direction that Alex Golesh has already decided to go, establishing a new standard on the Plains.
Simmons believes the Tigers have enough talent to make this thing work. Now it's about Auburn's coaching staff getting the most out of it. Players such as Byrum Brown do not want this year to be seen as a year where Auburn is only building up and establishing their identity. They want to be competitive right away.
"The talent was already there," Simmons said. "You just need someone to actually put them in the right spots."
Auburn fans will get a first taste of what this offensive line will look like in Atlanta in Week 1.
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