The January transfer portal window closes in one week, and Auburn isn’t slowing down. The Tigers added their second tight end of the cycle on Tuesday when former Howard tight end Xavier Newsom committed to Alex Golesh’s program, reuniting with the coach who recruited him to the FCS level just one year ago.
Newsom’s commitment gives Auburn yet another massive frame at the tight end position, a room that’s undergone a complete overhaul since Golesh took over on Nov. 30.
Xavier Newsom Brings Elite Size to Auburn Tight End Room
As the old saying goes, “you can’t coach size,” and that’s what Xavier Newsom brings to Auburn. Despite limited targets last year for Howard, Newsom stands 6’6″ and tips the scales at 240 pounds, a massive man among men at Howard, and should fit nicely into the new Auburn offensive scheme.
Alex Golesh has no trouble deploying mismatches in his offenses, and Newsom’s a nightmare matchup for smaller linebackers and even the largest strong safeties in the SEC.
The Detroit native played in seven games for the Bison as a true freshman in 2025, finishing with a 9-yard touchdown. A soft tissue injury limited his availability early in the season, but the raw tools are undeniable.
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Newsom’s path to Auburn runs directly through Larry Scott, the former Howard head coach who was hired as Auburn’s tight ends coach in mid-December. Scott recruited Newsom to Howard out of Martin Luther King Jr. High School in Detroit, where the 18-year-old was originally profiled as an edge rusher before transitioning to tight end.
“He took a chance on me when he didn’t have to at Howard,” Newsom told 247Sports. “He didn’t really know too much about me, but wanted me. I feel like when we were at Howard, we grew a connection together. His background, too. He has coached a lot of good players, and I want to be part of that.”
Scott’s résumé speaks for itself. Before his six-year run leading Howard to back-to-back MEAC titles (2022-23) and a Celebration Bowl berth, he coached tight ends at Florida, Tennessee, and Miami. His most notable pupil? Kyle Pitts, now one of the NFL’s premier tight ends.
Auburn’s Tight End Rebuild Taking Shape Under Alex Golesh
Newsom joins a tight end room that looks drastically different than it did six weeks ago. The Tigers added USF transfer Jonathan Echols (6’6″, 235 lbs) on Jan. 5. He caught nine passes for 109 yards and three touchdowns for the Bulls in 2025. Ryan Ghea returns after a true freshman season, and Auburn also signed DJ Broughton Jr. in the 2026 class.
The fit in Golesh’s system is worth examining. While his veer-and-shoot offense doesn’t necessarily feature tight ends heavily in the passing game, they’re critical to the run game and are frequently deployed on RPOs and pop passes.
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At Iowa State, Golesh’s tight end room went from catching five combined passes the year before his arrival to 75 catches in 2019, producing All-American Charlie Kolar and second-team All-Big 12 selection Chase Allen.
Fortunately for Auburn fans, Golesh’s track record of developing tight ends at multiple stops (Illinois, Iowa State, UCF, Tennessee, and USF) suggests the position will finally become an offensive asset on the Plains after years of underwhelming production.
Newsom has three years of eligibility remaining.
