Cam Coleman has yet to rank inside the top 100 in receiving yards through his first two years with the Auburn Tigers. Coleman hasn't accrued more than 750 yards in a single season. In two years during SEC play, Coleman hauled in seven touchdowns.
The potential and talent have always been more evident than the results with Coleman. It's understandable, since Hugh Freeze recruited Payton Thorne, who, to be fair, was the best thing Coleman had on the Plains, and, far more egregiously, Jackson Arnold, to be his quarterback.
Coleman will undoubtedly show more in Austin, Texas, than he would've in Auburn, with Arch Manning throwing him the ball within the confines of Steve Sarkisian's play-calling. Let's pump the brakes a bit, though. He has the chance to usurp Ryan Wingo as Manning's WR1, but there will still be more mouths to feed: Kaliq Lockett, Wake Forest Demon Deacons transfer Sterling Berkhalter, and tight end Nick Townsend, not to mention a deep running back room in need of touches that will feature NC State Wolfpack transfer Hollywood Smothers and Arizona State Sun Devils transfer Raleek Brown.
Steve Sarkisian's somewhat snide comments towards Auburn that were glowing about Coleman on Monday predictably got fans excited in Central Texas. Hook'em Headlines' Matthew Wilson went as far as saying, "Texas hasn't had this caliber of player in the wide receiver room for a while now, and Longhorns fans will be able to see and feel his impact immediately in 2026 ... Very few pass-catchers at the collegiate level can consistently create the type of separation that Coleman can, and if things go as planned, Coleman should be in the running for multiple postseason awards following the 2026 regular season."
And that may just be expecting too much out of Coleman after the kind of years he had in his home corner of the Yellowhammer State.
Cam Coleman may be showing out in Texas, but he had horrible habits in Auburn
On3's Jake Crain gave me a damning take on Coleman's time repping the Orange and Blue, saying, "I'm not saying Cam Coleman isn't talented. He's talented, but he didn't practice hard. Like, these guys, it doesn't work in this sport."
Coleman is capable of winning the Heisman if it talent was the determining factor. He has top-10 NFL draft pick talent.
It's just difficult to show up somewhere new, where your reputation precedes you, and overcome such a negative narrative to become a multiple trophy winner.
Crow is ready to be consumed if Coleman becomes the next great redemption story and proves this thesis that he shouldn't be expected to win awards to be false. Maybe he'll be a true riches to even more riches tale.
It just seems that, from here, Longhorn fans may end up disappointed if they're expecting an all-time season from Coleman in 2026. His high in a single season is less than half that of Texas's all-time receiving record, and College Football is producing eye-popping offensive numbers everywhere you look.