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al.com

What are the first impressions of Auburn 5-star WR Cam Coleman?

Updated: Feb. 29, 2024, 7:28 p.m.|Published: Feb. 29, 2024, 4:45 p.m.

4–6 minutes

Auburn Football

What are Hugh Freeze and Payton Thorne’s first impressions of Auburn 5-star WR Cam Coleman?

First look at Auburn 5-star WR Cam Coleman - Auburn Spring Camp

Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne put it perfectly in saying Auburn’s 5-star wide receiver signee Cam Coleman was a “huge name around here.”

Since Coleman — who ranked as the second-best wide receiver in the 2024 recruiting class — flipped his commitment from Texas A&M to Auburn on Dec. 1, he’s been one of the hottest topics on The Plains — and perhaps rightfully so.

During Auburn’s first spring practice on Tuesday afternoon, Coleman was hard to miss as his 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame had him towering over other receivers on the field. At that height, Coleman ties junior Camden Brown as the tallest wide receivers on the Tigers’ roster.

But adding to Coleman’s impressive frame is his ability to use it.

Thorne says Coleman can “jump out the gym” and runs a 4.4 40-yard dash.

“Maybe less than that when he gets to the combine in a couple years,” Thorne adds.

The addition of Coleman is one Auburn desperately needed as the Tigers’ wide receiver play was often a topic of criticism as their passing offense limped along to one of the worst finishes in FBS as it ranked 121st in passing offense — leaving just nine teams in the nation with a worse showing.

And Freeze maintained during the offseason that Auburn’s passing struggles could be remedied by inserting more talented pieces around his quarterbacks.

“I believe that if we get the right pieces around (Payton Thorne) and Holden (Geriner) and Hank (Brown), I think our quarterback room is going to be fine next year,” Freeze said in December. “That is my belief. It’s what drives me to get the right pieces around them.”

For the most part, those pieces are here as Coleman highlights a historic signing class of receivers that also features 5-star Perry Thompson and 4-stars Bryce Cain and Malcolm Simmons. Thompson and Simmons, however, aren’t on campus just yet as they didn’t enroll early.

But already, less than one week into spring camp, Freeze has been able to see how a guy like Coleman could alter Auburn’s offense.

“Cam Coleman just makes us look different,” Freeze said Thursday. “Can’t tell you how excited I am about him... When you watch him run around out there, we’ve improved ourselves. He’s naturally gifted.”

That said, at the end of the day, the gem of Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class is just that — a member of the 2024 recruiting class, meaning he’s about as green as they come and is still adjusting to college football.

“As a true freshman early enrollee it’s tough, it doesn’t matter how good you are, it’s going to be tough early,” Thorne said. “He’s just getting his feet wet and he’s going to keep getting better every practice he learns.”

Thorne went on to say learning the playbook is the biggest component to Coleman’s transition. And considering the Tigers brought in a new offensive coordinator in Derrick Nix during the offseason, Coleman won’t be the only one learning a new system.

Step two is adjusting to the speed of the game, Thorne says.

“You’re not going to play a corner that runs over (a) 4.55 or so, especially in this league. Most of these guys are going to be running 4.4 (or) 4.3, so you have to learn and become a route technician,” Thorne said. “You’re not going to be able to just run past people like you did in high school.”

And finally, understanding the intricacies of Auburn’s offense and how to play off certain defensive coverages is another adjustment Thorne says Coleman will have to make.

But that all comes with time — something Coleman hasn’t had much of considering spring ball is just getting underway.

“I don’t want to put too much expectations on him as a freshman because he is just a freshman,” Freeze said of Coleman. “I expect him to play as a freshman. How well is he going to do as a freshman? We’ve had one practice, so it’s really hard to say.

“But boy, he’s talented and smooth and tracks the ball as well as any that I’ve seen.”

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247sports.com

Auburn QB job is Payton Thornes to lose as spring practice kicks off

Nathan King

5–6 minutes

Regardless of how many new coaches or players are of intrigue at the start of practices, things always circle back to the quarterbacks eventually.

Such is the nature of Auburn’s second spring practices under Hugh Freeze, too, where the Tigers know their hopes for offensive improvement in 2024 are heavily contingent on the passing game, which struggled mightily last season. 

After Auburn’s loss in the Music City Bowl — in which Payton Thorne and Holden Geriner combined to go 14-of-33 for 92 yards — Freeze declared the job would be “wide-open” heading into spring practices. Auburn didn’t get a transfer quarterback, though, so the QB room’s only new face is 4-star freshman Walker White.

So Thorne remains the most experienced passer on the team, and the first-team reps will be his for at least the early stages of the spring. 

“Well, every spot is wide-open in my mind right now,” Freeze said Thursday. “Now, let me be clear: I think Payton has done an incredible job since January of taking a leadership role and setting the standard. Do I think it's his to lose? Yes. But he's gotta go earn it every day. We're not in a position where we can just say that it's given to somebody.

“We're changing our whole verbiage, our whole system, to what I'm comfortable with. I need to see who has the best grasp on that.”

For Thorne, another QB battle is nothing new. Even when he became Auburn’s full-time starter last season, he said he approached every practice like he was fighting to keep his job. After the bowl game, when Freeze declared there would be an open competition in 2024, Thorne said he expected he’d have to re-earn his role anyway after the passing game struggled.

“That's how I've looked at it my whole career honestly outside of maybe my freshman year,” Thorne said Thursday. “... Every other year you're competing at every level and if you go — unless you won the Heisman Trophy — if you go and crap down your leg, you're not going to be playing, no matter what position you are.”

Thorne finished 2023 with the SEC’s worst QBR and second-lowest yards per attempt.

Of course, Auburn hopes it can improve the offense around the quarterback position, not only with elite recruits joining the receiving corps, but also with a reworked offense that will see Freeze taking on more control, likely as the primary play-caller. Freeze hopes first-year offensive coordinator Derrick Nix will add some familiarity and an increased comfort level to offensive meetings, too, after Nix was on all five of Freeze’s staffs at Ole Miss.

But Thorne knows he can’t simply coast into 2024 and expect improvement to fall in his lap. Specifically this spring, the sixth-year senior said he’s retooling some of his footwork with new quarterbacks coach Kent Austin, after some changes that were made under previous OC Philip Montgomery last season didn’t yield the results Thorne wanted.

“I switched my feet last year and it’s something that we were doing — you know, I don’t believe that was the best thing after doing it,” Thorne said. “And so I talked to Coach Austin, and he’s in full support of us switching back to the footwork that I’ve used in the past and that he’s used in the past, as well.”

Thorne is joined in the competition by the redshirt sophomore Geriner, redshirt freshman Hank Brown and White. The early spring drills, at least at Tuesday’s practice, went in that order.

It’s a difficult balance in the spring, Freeze admitted, because he knows the competition will need to be cut down, but also that White deserves a fair shake. Freeze knows that White — rated by 247Sports as the No. 5 quarterback in the 2024 class — has the biggest challenge in terms of getting up to speed this spring as compared to the other three QBs who were all part of the offense last year.

“You want to get Walker some — because I think he's so talented,” Freeze said. “I mean, his arm strength is phenomenal. He made throws the other day that take great arm strength to make. But he's swimming, and everything's coming at him really fast right now. We've got to find a way to slow that down and give him quality reps, too. It's a challenge to do that.”

Barring some major changes, it’s unlikely Freeze will pursue a transfer quarterback after spring ball. This is the group that the Tigers’ staff will roll with, attempting to dig out of the SEC’s bottom rung of passing efficiency. Two practices are now in the books, as the six-month clock for Thorne, Freeze and the others has begun.

“My goal is to get as good as I can — because ultimately my goal is to win a lot of games here and play for a championship, and then also play at the next level,” Thorne said. “So if I come around and slouch around, neither one of those things is going to happen. I'm not really concerned about anything other than those things.”

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

Spring breakdown: Cam Coleman, Bryce Cain poised to make early impression at wide receiver

Taylor Jones

5–6 minutes

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Spring practice has officially begun, and it is time to break down another position group ahead of A-Day on April 6.

After examining Auburn’s quarterback and running back situation going into spring, we will now take a look at which receivers will go through spring practice.

Auburn lost a few names from last season such as Shane Hooks and Nick Mardner due to graduation, as well as Ja'Varrius Johnson and Jyaire Shorter to the transfer portal. Several recognizable names such as Koy Moore and Caleb Burton return to the rotation while true freshmen Cam Coleman and Bryce Cain are getting their feet wet.

Below is a look at every wide receiver participating in this season’s spring drills.

Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser

Koy Moore will look to have a rebound year in 2024. After becoming Auburn’s second-leading receiver with 20 catches for 314 yards in 2022, he caught just three passes for 21 yards in 2023.

Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

Camden brown took a step back from his nine-catch, 123-yard receiving season in 2022 by making 10 catches for 105 yards last season. His best game in 2023 was in Auburn’s win over Vanderbilt last November, where he made three catches for 25 yards.

Austin Perryman/Auburn Tigers

jay fair was a popular receiver through Auburn’s first three games as he hauled in 14 passes for 174 yards and two touchdowns. However, he recorded multiple passes just three times over Auburn’s final 10 games for just 150 yards and zero scores. Fair returns as Auburn’s leading receiver after making 31 catches for 324 yards in 2023.

Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Bryce Cain is one of two members of Auburn’s elite recruiting class who will compete in spring exercises. Cain is the No. 30 wide receiver from the 2024 class and the No. 13 overall recruit from the state of Alabama.

Austin Perryman/Auburn Athletics

The top signee of Auburn’s 2024 recruiting haul is on campus and ready to compete for a starting job this season. Cam Coleman signs with Auburn as a five-star wide receiver from Phenix City. Here’s a look at Coleman’s first day of practice courtesy of Montgomery Advertiser’s Richard Silva.

Just wrapped up a viewing at Auburn’s first spring practice of the year.

Here’s a look at Cam Coleman: pic.twitter.com/if8rk4zeGh

— Richard Silva (@rich_silva18) February 27, 2024

Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports

Caleb Burton III enters his second season at Auburn after transferring into the program from Ohio State. He caught 16 passes for 226 yards last season.

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia State’s leading receiver from last season has made his way to the Plains. Robert Lewis hauled in 61 passes last season for 618 yards and four touchdowns.

Robert Edwards-USA TODAY Sports

A converted quarterback, Sam Jackson V transfers to Auburn from California. He was a high school teammate of Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne at Napierville Central High School, where he was Thorne’s top target.

Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser

Greg McConico Jr. begins his senior season at Auburn. He played high school football at Carver High School in Montgomery.

John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Will Upton returns to the roster as a redshirt freshman. He attended Jackson Prepratory in Jackson, Mississippi.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

A native of Centre, Alabama, and an alum of Cherokee County High School, Whit Johnson is set to begin his sophomore season at Auburn.

Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser

Jake Kruse enters his sophomore season at Auburn. He is from Helena, Alabama originally, and attended Helena High School.

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Colby Stafford enters his junior season at Auburn. He is originally from Mobile, Alabama, and attended UMS-Wright.

Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Cam’ron King joins Auburn’s roster as a freshman from Ocala, Florida. King recorded 34 catches for 416 yards and three touchdowns during his senior season at Vanguard High School.

Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser

Dylan Gentry, who joins the program as a walk-on from Phenix City, has quickly become a fan favorite since signing with the Tigers. Will he get the chance to prove himself this season?

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al.com

Goodman: Hugh Freeze has a question, ‘Why not Auburn?’

Updated: Mar. 01, 2024, 8:35 a.m.|Published: Mar. 01, 2024, 7:59 a.m.

6–8 minutes

This is an opinion column.

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_____________________

The long winter is over for teams in the SEC. For the first time in 18 years, spring football is here without Nick Saban coaching the Crimson Tide.

In the state of Alabama, it means different things to different people. For Auburn coach Hugh Freeze, life has never been better.

Freeze is friends with Saban. They share the same sports agent. Nearly a decade ago, Saban wanted to hire Freeze after Freeze was forced to step down at Ole Miss. On Thursday, which was Auburn’s second day of spring practice, Freeze began his day with a phone call to his old rival.

“I actually talked to him this morning because next week is spring break and we’re trying to arrange a little golf match,” Freeze said.

When Saban retired, Freeze apparently gained a golfing buddy.

Hopefully Georgia coach Kirby Smart and Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin join the group to celebrate Saban’s retirement. Saban shaped college football in about 100 different ways. One of the biggest was his impact on coaching throughout the SEC. His influence on the game is going to last a long time.

What does that mean for the power dynamic in the SEC? We’re about to find out.

RELATED: First impressions of AU receiver Cam Coleman

RELATED: Hugh Freeze addresses the QB battle

A lot has changed in college football since January. Teams are strapping on the pads once again, but they’re doing it in a world where Saban will be a football analyst for ESPN. It’s going to be different, and there is an opportunity for Freeze’s Tigers to take advantage of the power vacuum.

Give Freeze credit for not shying away from the moment. He understands what’s at stake this spring and he addressed it head-on when I asked him about how the toughest league in sports is different without Saban on the sidelines. It’s not just the Iron Bowl rivalry, but the biggest game of all is already on Freeze’s mind this spring.

Saban is out at Alabama, but Freeze is familiar with Alabama’s new coach, Kalen DeBoer. That feels like a slight advantage for Auburn compared to other teams in the SEC.

“I’ve known Kalen a long time,” Freeze said. “We were both in NAIA together. I was at Lambuth and he was at Sioux Falls, so I’ve known him for a long time and he’s a great human being and a great football coach that has some big shoes to fill. But I respect him and the job that he’ll do.

“You definitely feel like it could all be fool’s gold without hard work and success, but you do feel like there might be an opening to capitalize on why not Auburn right now. And that will be our message and I’m sure they will have a strong message, too. Both will still get good players.

But it is a different feel knowing Nick’s not in the game right now.”

Anticipation and excitement are the feelings running through Auburn. It’s a new era in more ways than one. Auburn went through four coaches during Saban’s mighty reign at Alabama. Freeze was the fifth. Before Saban arrived in the state, Auburn dominated the rivalry. Is the pendulum about to swing again?

Why not Auburn? Give Freeze respect for saying it aloud for all to hear. It’s one of the biggest questions of the spring in the SEC.

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The Tigers have hit the reset button in preparation of the most important set of spring practice in years. Players have formed a “culture council” to hold each other accountable. Punishments sound pretty severe.

“We don’t look at it as punishment,” Deal said. “We look at it as enrichment.”

That made me laugh. Deal is going to make a great coach one day.

Freeze convinced the veteran tight end to return to school for his sixth season of college football. That tells you all you need to know about the current attitude on the Plains. He didn’t do it to go 6-7 and lose to Maryland in the Music City Bowl.

“You already see some of the positive effects,” Deal said. “Guys who you wouldn’t see being bought in at this point are already bought in.”

As for the quarterback competition, Deal already has some thoughts on freshman Walker White.

“He’s got a cannon for an arm,” Deal said. “It’s going to be a fun battle to watch.”

Freeze said his word for 2024 is “truth.” That’s the culture that Auburn’s coach wants created this spring. In assessing his first year at Auburn, Freeze said one thing stood out above the rest.

“Why couldn’t I reach that group?” he said. “We should have won a couple more games.”

The easy answer is that a lot of those players needed to cycle out of the system. The tougher truth is that maybe some of the coaches needed to leave Auburn in a quest for personal growth. It’s going to be different not having Cadillac Williams and Zac Etheridge around, but maybe different is exactly what Auburn needs in 2024.

Here’s some truth to go along with that feeling of change overtaking the SEC this spring. According to one oddsmaker, Alabama is predicted to finish fifth in the SEC behind Georgia, Texas, Ole Miss and Tennessee.

It’s a new day in the SEC. For Auburn, spring’s rebirth is here after the freeze.

SOUND OFF

Got a question about spring football in the SEC or college basketball? Want to get something off your chest? Send Joe a question about what’s on your mind for the weekly mailbag. Let your voice be heard. Ask him anything.

Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of the signature book about Nick Saban’s reign at Alabama, “We Want Bama”.

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al.com

Dameyune Craig joins former Auburn teammate in latest coaching move, per report

Published: Mar. 01, 2024, 11:52 a.m.

2–3 minutes

LSU wide receivers coach Dameyune Craig, a former Auburn quarterback and assistant coach, is shown prior to a game Saturday Sept. 24, 2016, at Jordan Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

Former Texas A&M assistant Dameyune Craig is expected to be hired as an offensive assistant coach at Georgia State by coach Dell McGee, per 247 Sports.

It will be a reunion of former Auburn teammates.

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Craig had been the receivers coach under then-coach Jimbo Fisher at Texas A&M from 2018 to 2023. While Craig was a star quarterback at Auburn (1994-97), Fisher served as his position coach. Craig also coached under Fisher in various roles at LSU (2004) and Florida State (2010-12, 2017).

He’s got previous SEC experience at Auburn, where he held the co-offensive coordinator title in addition to coaching the wideouts.

McGee, meanwhile, was a four-year letterwinner at Auburn from 1992-95.

Georgia State hired McGee, a former Georgia assistant coach, last week to a five-year deal.

McGee, 50, was the Bulldogs’ run game coordinator and running backs coach, and he joins the Panthers after spending the past eight seasons as a Georgia assistant.

McGee replaces Shawn Elliott, who agreed earlier this month to return to South Carolina as tight ends coach and run game coordinator.

Georgia State is coming off a 7-6 season that included a win over Utah State in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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