Since his arrival on the Plains as a member of the "Freeze Four" ahead of last season, Auburn Tigers wide receiver Perry Thompson has been waiting in the wings for his time to shine. After the Tigers' third-leading wide receiver, Horatio Fields, broke his foot in practice this week, Thompson's time is now.
"Everybody wants to be the guy, but that's part of the development process," Freeze said, per Auburn Undercover. "... I think he's coming on. It's time — next man up."
Thompson was originally comitted to Alabama before he flipped to the Tigers, setting off the chain reaction that would secure the "Freeze Four" in Malcolm Simmons, Cam Coleman, Bryce Cain and Thompson. In his freshman year, Thompson didn't get the same hype or create the same impact that Simmons and Coleman created, but he continued to work hard and take the chances that came his way.
Ahead of the 2025 season, head coach Hugh Freeze and his staff brought in two elite transfer wide receivers in Eric Singleton Jr. and the aforementioned Fields, but still, Thompson didn't take the easy way out through the Transfer Portal and continued to grind.
"I feel like iron sharpens iron," Thompson said during fall camp. "Coach Freeze said everybody is making everybody better, and it's making me a better receiver."
With Fields out for an unspecified amount of time and Freeze's endorsement as the next man up, it's time for Thompson to take the next step in his career and show what he's capable of on the field.
"Size, and he's got great ball skills," Freeze said of Thompson's skills. "It's just consistent in the technique it will take to win against the DBs in this league. He's getting better and better at it. And there's nothing like real reps in a game like Saturday's to help him get better."
The Tigers will face off against the Texas A&M Aggies tomorrow at 2:30 p.m.