Cam Coleman has the chance to ascend from No. 3 in receptions his freshman season to No. 1 in 2025 with the Auburn Tigers. Just because Coleman can, doesn't mean he absolutely, unconditionally, will.
And there's no reasonable Heisman conversation to be had with Coleman. There might not even be one with Jackson Arnold, who at least plays the position that has won three of the last four Heisman awards.
The case for Arnold is clear as day, though, if AU wins 10 games. There's no universe they win 10 games where Arnold isn't buoying the offense with his legs. He didn't have the passing chops at Oklahoma to inspire enough confidence in a Heisman run.
For what it's worth, though, Arnold's Heisman odds are nowhere near as long as Coleman's.
Despite all this, Coleman was featured in a piece titled, "Top Heisman contender for every team in CBS Sports post-spring top 25 ahead of 2025 college football season," as Auburn's representative.
"Coleman came to Auburn with massive expectations. Despite the Tigers' struggles under Hugh Freeze, he finally flashed his five-star potential in the final snaps of the season. In his final three games, Coleman caught 22 passes for 306 yards and six touchdowns as Auburn went 2-1. The run included a dominant performance in a four-overtime upset of Texas A&M. If the Tigers can settle the quarterback position, Coleman could be a truly special receiver," CBS Sports' Shehan Jeyarajah wrote.
Coleman was on par with Freeze Four cohort Malcolm Simmons last season. Eric Singleton Jr. and Horatio Fields have arrived via the transfer portal and could be threats to getting a high volume of targets -- a high enough volume to make Coleman inappropriate in Heisman conversations.
Coleman has Heisman-level talent. He just may not get Heisman-quantity opportunities.