The departees, the newbies, and the returners of Auburn football's wide receiver room heading into spring practice.
The Auburn football program is less than a week away from beginning their second round of spring practices under head coach Hugh Freeze. With substantial staff changes and a recruiting class of 2024 that is ranked among the top 10 in the country, things are heating up ahead of spring.
One of the rooms poised to look most different this year is the wide receivers room. For the past few years, the Tigers have struggled significantly when it comes to production in the wide receiver room. With a big haul of pass-catchers in the 2024 signing class, the Tigers are hoping to see that change this year.
First, there was a big group of receivers who chose to leave the Plains after the 2023 season. Shane Hooks, Ja'Varrius Johnson, Malcolm Johnson Jr., Omari Kelly, Nick Mardner, and Jyaire Shorter all parted ways with the Tigers through the transfer portal except Hooks and Mardner, who ran out of eligibility.
Four of the wide receivers from last year's roster are returning: Camden Brown, Caleb Burton, Jay Fair, and Koy Moore. Although Fair is the most productive returning player, Burton's role increased throughout the season and it's possible he takes a bigger role in the 2024 season.
The newcomers for spring practice include Bryce Cain, Cam Coleman, Sam Jackson, and Robert Lewis. Cain and Coleman are half of the quartet of elite receivers that signed with the Tigers, the other two expected to arrive in the summer. Jackson transferred from Cal, where he played quarterback, and Lewis was previously at Georgia State.
Hopefully all the added talent will improve production for the Tigers as Freeze brings in his first full recruiting class and gets to work in year two on the Plains.