This is not going to be an immediate turnaround for the Auburn Tigers, but the work incoming head coach Alex Golesh does between now and when the transfer portal officially opens up could make all the difference. The noted Josh Heupel disciple has made his way back to the SEC after a great run leading the South Florida Bulls in The American. Winning in Tampa is not the easiest thing one can do.
However, he has seen one wide receiver after another hit the transfer portal upon his arrival. This was largely expected, as a major exodus in the wake of Hugh Freeze being let go was not surprising. What is great to see is Golesh was able to retain defensive coordinator and former interim head coach D.J. Durkin to be on his first Auburn staff. Maybe not everybody is heading for the transfer portal after all?
With Auburn needing to replace an ineffective Jackson Arnold at starting quarterback, it probably serves Golesh to make sure wide receiver extraordinaire Cam Coleman wants to stay on The Plains. If Coleman does intend to stay and does not hit the portal, Auburn will then become a major player in the transfer portal quarterback market. They could get a major upgrade over Arnold this offseason...
Auburn could be three wins better than it was a season ago if the Tigers make the right moves here.
Auburn can land a great transfer portal QB if Cam Coleman stays put
Look. Coleman is a local product. He starred in Phenix City playing for Auburn legendary quarterback Patrick Nix, better known as Bo Nix's father these days... Coleman is only entering his third season as a college football player. He has ties to the state and picked to play for Hugh Freeze right out of high school. Phenix City is in Greater Columbus, the metro area where Auburn pulls the most heavily from.
Should Golesh be able to masterfully articulate what his plans are at Auburn to high-profile players like Coleman, it could in turn be an easier sell for prospective recruits potentially wanting to come to town by way of the portal. Again, Coleman is a local product who is already in-house. The chances of retaining him seem to be in Auburn's favor in that regard. Of course, somebody could outbid them...
In the end, Golesh needs to find a face to center his Auburn offense around. Coleman is a fantastic player, but he does not touch the ball on every offensive snap. Golesh had a ton of success with Byrum Brown as his starting quarterback. One would think he may target somebody in the portal who is just as much of a dual-threat playmaker as him. Arnold could have been that, but he did not work.
At this time, Auburn's best shot at landing a great quarterback in the portal is to bring back Coleman.