The signing of Eric Singleton Jr. was a major boost to an Auburn WR room losing KeAndre Lambert-Smith. While Singleton has a chance to become Jackson Arnold's QB1, Rivals' Brian Stultz doesn't expect him to match KLS's contributions.
"The addition of Eric Singleton to the wide receiver room is massive. Will he be as productive as KeAndre Lambert-Smith? Probably not. However, he adds another threat to complement Cam Coleman and Malcolm Simmons," Stultz wrote.
Lambert-Smith had four 100+-yard outings in 2024, with two of them coming in the Tigers' final two games against ranked opponents (Texas A&M, Alabama). He had 156 yards in Auburn's SEC opener against Arkansas and 95 against Georgia.
Lambert-Smith, if nothing else, was a big-game performer. But he was a lot more than just that. He had 10 more catches and 383 more receiving yards than the Tigers' No. 2 in those categories.
Lambert-Smith did a lot of heavy lifting in a WR room that featured youth. Cam Coleman and Malcolm Simmons showed promise in 2024, but they may become WR1 types with a not-drastic leap next year. Perry Thompson and Bryce Cain could be ready to make an impact too after a redshirt season for the latter and a nearly-as-quiet season for the former.
Singleton won't have the same responsibilities as KLS if the Freeze Four is where they need to be developmentally. For all we know, though, he may form chemistry with Arnold that produces unforeseen fireworks.
Either way, there's a big loss in the WR room, but a big addition in his place.