Auburn head football coach Hugh Freeze has put the work in on the recruiting trail, and in 2025, he may finally see the Tigers convert that into winning. AU has a winnable schedule this fall and, more importantly, has top talent via two straight top-10 recruiting classes and a top-10 transfer haul during the December cycle.
Maybe even Heisman-level talent.
Saturday Blitz's Jack Ward asked who might have the next Ashton Jeanty or Jayden Daniels, and the first name mentioned in his piece titled "5 college football players who are breakout candidates for the 2025 season" was Cam Coleman.
Ward sees Jackson Arnold's addition helping Coleman reach those gaudy Heisman heights.
"The former five-star recruit couldn’t quite reach the same heights as fellow C/O 2024 receivers Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams due to Auburn's offensive struggles," Ward wrote.
"However, Coleman absolutely has the athleticism and skill necessary to be a star in this sport.
"After slow start he put up eye-popping numbers in the Tiger's last three games, hauling in 22 catches for 306 yards and six touchdowns.
"Upgrades from the portal will help his production improve, with Auburn bringing in quarterback Jackson Arnold from Oklahoma, as well as highly touted offensive linemen Xavier Chaplin and Mason Murphy.
"The 6'3 receiver will also be complemented nicely by Georgia Tech transfer Eric Singleton Jr., who should keep some double-coverage off Coleman."
Arnold cannot revert to his OU tendencies if Coleman is to have a shot at winning any individual award, let alone the Heisman. Against Alabama in the Sooners' biggest win of the 2024 season, Arnold threw the ball just 11 times.
If Freeze, Derrick Nix, and Kent Austin can get a version of Arnold more similar to his high school days, perhaps Coleman could make good on his superlative talents.
That's a bigger if than most want to acknowledge, though.