Auburn WR Cam Coleman is better than his stats suggest

Auburn is facing a make-or-break situation in Week 5 of the 2025 college football season.

Coming off a loss against the Oklahoma Sooners—a back-and-forth struggle in Norman that exposed the Tigers’ biggest flaws—Auburn is entering the toughest stretch of its season 3-1. Now they face a phenomenal Texas A&M team led by Heisman dark horse Marcel Reed.

For Hugh Freeze, winning in College Station is a must.

Auburn’s loss against Oklahoma comes with baggage. The Tigers' offensive line faltered against the Sooners’ defensive agility, and Jackson Arnold was sacked ten times. The renowned quarterback has continued to hold the football for too long post snap, and Oklahoma’s defense didn’t allow him to scramble out of the pocket as Baylor’s did in Week 1.

But there are clear upsides for Auburn, too.

Sensational wide receiver Cam Coleman has proven himself one of the Tigers’ greatest weapons. While the outstanding sophomore only recorded three catches on Saturday, he averaged 29 yards per reception, totaling 88 yards. Coleman’s single touchdown came during the final minute of the first half when he outmaneuvered Oklahoma defensive back Courtland Guillory.

Coleman has recorded 237 yards so far this season and, per Shane Hallam, is listed 13th on the Draft Sharks 2025 Devy Rankings. And yet, amidst the praise, the iconic receiver is still better than his stats suggest.

There were several missed opportunities on Saturday that costed the Tigers needed points. First, Jackson Arnold overthrew a wide-open Coleman in the third quarter when Auburn was down 13-10.

“I mean, it sucks, but at the end of the day, it’s just one pass,” Arnold said per Peter Rauterkus of AL.com. “I think I was more proud of the way that we came back and fought to score a touchdown to put us up in that fourth quarter. But misses like that happen. Obviously, I want that one back.”

Coleman was robbed of another touchdown midway through the fourth quarter when Eric Singleton Jr.’s pass was broken up due to obvious interference by Sooners’ defensive back Gentry Williams. The referees—as was common on Saturday—failed to penalize Oklahoma.

“I was very confident that we could push the ball down the field, and it is good to see them do that and have success,” Freeze told reporters after the game. “The crazy thing is that we should have hit two more that I think changed the game. You have to make those plays. In one of them, Cam [Coleman] changed gears, and if he never stops, I think he runs right through it for a 75-yard touchdown. Then, obviously, the one where he is seven yards behind the defender for a touchdown and we don’t hit him.”

Coleman will be a key piece of the Tigers’ offense when they face Texas A&M on Saturday. Last year, Coleman totaled 128 yards and 2 touchdowns against the Aggies, helping the Tigers fight to a 4OT victory. And to only further the drama, Coleman was originally committed to the Aggies in 2023—during the Jimbo Fisher era— before he flipped his allegiance to Auburn.

Texas A&M's Mike Elko knows that Coleman will be a problem.

“I’d way rather be playing [against] guys who weren’t big, athletic, fast, and 10.2 in the 100 meters,” Elko said. “This is a really, really talented wide receiver corps. We’ll see how we do on Saturday. But there’s a lot of other teams I would rather try to match up with on Saturday at wide receiver than this group.”

In addition to Coleman, Auburn’s defense has proven itself as one of the nation’s best. Ranked first in the country in allowed yards per rushing attempt, the Tigers' defense hasn’t permitted a first-quarter touchdown yet this season. On Saturday, they forced the Sooners to go three-and-out
on three of their seven first-half drives.

Saturday’s matchup will prove to be a showdown of the SEC’s best. Kickoff is set for 2:30PM CST at Kyle Field. For Texas A&M, victory would be one step closer to an SEC Championship appearance and a run at the College Football Playoff. For Auburn, with even tougher matchups on the horizon, winning in College Station is mandatory.