Auburn Tiger fans are going to have to come around on the fact that someone who was seemingly never destined to work out in Orange and Blue is about to become a superstar in Burnt Orange and White.
As On3's Ari Wasserman noted, AU wideout transfer Cam Coleman taking his talents to Austin, Texas, to become Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning's top option was probably the best decision in the January portal window.
"If I could pick one player who was available to build my team around, of all the transfers, I think I would pick [Cam] Coleman ... [Factoring in] both talent from the player and the situation that he is going into, I think it's hard to argue against this being [the] number one [portal acquisition]. The offense Texas runs [needs] dynamic receivers, and can really pop when it has [them]," Wasserman said.
Cam Coleman leaving the Plains will be good for Auburn
Two things could be true. Just as Coleman is a winner from this breakup, so is Auburn.
As On3's Jake Crain told me in early January, Coleman was part of a systematic issue in East Central Alabama under a toxic culture Hugh Freeze established; one that was defined by the highest-paid players setting an awful example in the locker room and not being called out for it.
"...Auburn collapsed in every big moment, basically, during his tenure. And that's not a coincidence. That's not by accident. That is something that is cultivated, and that's why when you see these guys reading, like, I've never, and 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," Crain said.
Coleman clearly had no interest in having the fairytale, storybook ending in his home county playing for the team he grew up cheering for. What he may need is being a bit humbled in Central Texas before elevating his game to an NFL level. He has the personnel around him to thrive, not just Manning but with decoy Ryan Wingo also lining up on the outside and a rebuilt backfield featuring NC State Wolfpack running back transfer Hollywood Smothers and Arizona State Sun Devils RB transfer Raleek Brown.
In a perfect world, both Coleman and the Tigers will be better off without each other; the former in the NFL after spending most of his career in Auburn and the latter with Alex Golesh's unheralded gems from the USF Bulls' 2025 roster.