SEC Spring Breakout Players: Auburn WR Cam Coleman

By Chris Marler

A Rising Star in Auburn’s Offense

We continue our series highlighting SEC Spring Breakout Players with someone who may have already begun to break out—Auburn wide receiver Cam Coleman.

PFF’s Top 10 Returning Wide Receivers for the 2025 Season⭐️

Full List HERE: https://t.co/PDwNCOeqPi pic.twitter.com/3s0tMInx9C

— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 18, 2025

Coleman came to Auburn last season as part of arguably the greatest wide receiver class in recruiting history. Players like Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams made an immediate impact a season ago.

Now, it’s Coleman’s turn.

Strong Freshman Season

Coleman completed his first season at Auburn ranked second on the team in receiving yards (598) and tied for the team lead with eight touchdowns.

Coleman is destined to have a breakout season in 2025. While it took SEC fans most of the season to recognize his potential, the same could be said for Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze. Coleman finished the year with:

• 37 receptions
• 598 yards
• 8 touchdowns

Late-Season Surge

What stands out most about Coleman’s season is how much of his production came in the final three games. Against Louisiana Monroe, Texas A&M, and Alabama, he recorded 22 of his 37 receptions, accounting for nearly 60% of his total catches.

In fact, over 50% of Coleman’s total production came in the final three games, including:

• 51% of his total receiving yards
• 75% of his touchdowns

Expert Analysis: Justin Hokanson on Coleman

We talked to Justin Hokanson from On3’s Auburn Live, who shared his thoughts on Coleman’s potential:

“I think the biggest thing with Cam is gonna be another year of understanding route running and creating leverage with defensive backs. He’s got great speed. He can track a ball in the air. He’s got all the talent, but I think another year of just sorting a sort of understanding how to be a better wide receiver in all of the nuances—that’s what makes you great. Reading the defenses in that RPO system is not always easy. It’s all those nuances that I think another year in the system combined with his talent is what will make him potentially have a breakout season.”

Hokanson also emphasized Coleman’s unique role in Auburn’s offense:

“Last year you had DeAndre Lambert Smith, who was kind of a big-bodied receiver, but so was Cam. This year, Cam is that guy. Eric Singleton comes in, but he’s a small receiver. Great receiver, but small. Malcolm Simmons is gonna be good, but he’s on the smaller side too. Cam is the premier tall, rangy, I-can-throw-it-into-traffic type of receiver on this team.”

What’s Next for Coleman and Auburn’s Offense?

So now, the calendar turns to 2025 and the expectations for Auburn, its offense, and Cam Coleman feel through the roof. While Payton Thorne certainly wasn’t the sole issue of Auburn’s offense, his departure should only mean positive things for the Tigers. His replacement is former five star, and the highest ranked quarterback recruit in program history, Jackson Arnold.

The former Oklahoma signal caller hasn’t exactly lived up to expectations with his former five star ranking. While it may be a dated reference in 2025, one thing should give Auburn fans confidence—if Hugh Freeze could turn Bo Wallace into a back-to-back 3,000-yard passer, it’s reasonable to believe he can work some magic with a player as physically gifted as Arnold.

The primary benefactor of that should be Cam Coleman.

Read more of our SEC coverage here.