In the wake of Jarquez Hunter's historic run performance, head coach Hugh Freeze discusses the improvement of Auburn football's wide receivers
All eyes were on Auburn football's wide receivers room heading into the 2024 season. After the recruitment of the Freeze Four — Cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons, Perry Thompson, and Bryce Cain — and the addition of Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith, hopes were high.
And there has most certainly been an improvement from last year. Unsurprisingly, Lambert-Smith is the Tigers' leading receiver with 30 catches for 579 yards and seven touchdowns. His longest reception is 67 yards. But right behind the fifth-year senior is a pair of true freshmen.
Malcolm Simmons clocks in at the #2 spot with 25 receptions for 310 yards and two touchdowns, and Cam Coleman follows him with 14 catches for 283 yards and two touchdowns. Perry Thompson has recorded 4 catches for 123 yards.
Following senior running back Jarquez Hunter's historic run performance in the Tigers' first conference win over the Kentucky Wildcats, head coach Hugh Freeze addressed the development of the wide receivers throughout the first eight games of the season.
“We are improving every week. Keandre has been way up there and that because he’s played the game five years now and the rest of these guys are fairly young,” Freeze said, per AL.com. "Robert has been pretty solid, but we have committed to kind of developing these young kids. Cam, Malcom and has been improving and that’s becoming pretty normal now.”
The freshmen are the future, and while Lambert-Smith may be the biggest star for now, it's clear that he has a leader's influence over the younger guys and that the team has committed to developing the potential of the new wide receivers.
The Tigers return to action in Jordan-Hare Stadium this Saturday to host Vanderbilt at 11:45 a.m.