AUBURN – For the first time – maybe ever – Auburn’s wide receiver room could be the most talented group on the offensive side of the ball, and Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze is relying on his receivers to be the catalyst for an offense seeking improvements in his third year at the helm.
The Tigers certainly saw an uptick in production in that department a year ago, led by KeAndre Lambert-Smith, who finished with second-team all-SEC honors after posting 981 receiving yards – nearly Auburn’s first 1,000-yard receiver since Ronney Daniels (1,068) in 1999. With the additions of Cam Coleman and Malcom Simmons, Auburn fielded its best receiver room in quite some time, sixth in the SEC with 263.9 yards per game through the air.
But Freeze and his staff are looking to amp it up a bit this year and are banking on the Tigers’ receivers to become a bright spot for what has been a struggling offense.
And it starts with the addition of Georgia Tech transfer Eric Singleton. Singleton, ranked by 247Sports as the No. 1 wide receiver and No. 4 player in the transfer portal this offseason, has garnered high praise from Freeze and his teammates and is fitting in well in his first year on the Plains.
"He makes defensive backs very uncomfortable," Freeze said earlier in the spring. "He's got some straight-lined speed along with some lateral quickness that's unique and pretty elite. We can use him in a lot of different ways and think he's added another dimension to our offense and is gonna have a special year."
In year two under Freeze’s system, another guy that Lambert-Smith paved the way for is Perry Thompson. Watching his teammates, Cam Coleman and Malcolm Simmons, amass over 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns together, Thompson is ready to shine as he grows more comfortable in the scheme and learns to compete every single rep.
“Perry is starting to mature, as is Malcolm (Simmons),” Freeze said. “Some of these younger guys that didn't really understand how you have to practice and prepare. He still has his moments of inconsistency, but it's much better, and he's flashing some. He flashed today in the one-on-ones and had an incredible catch in one of the team periods. I'm excited about what he can become but still have to stay on, and let's learn how to compete every single play.”
In addition to Thompson, one of the Tigers’ newest additions to the room this spring, Sam Turner, is turning heads with his production out wide as he makes plays all over the field.
“He’s going to be dynamic, and he’s added great depth to us on the outside and able to give some breaks to Cam (Coleman) and Perry (Thompson) and Horatio (Fields) for sure. For a freshman, he’s sharp, he picks it up,” Freeze said.
Having a plethora of talented receivers certainly makes life easier for the guys under center, and freshman quarterback Deuce Knight, who is making his transition to college life this spring, is reaping the benefits of throwing to the ultra-talented group.
“They’re different, That’s all I’ve got to say,” Knight said. “They make it easy. Just get the ball to them – I can throw a screen and that’s 60 passing yards for me that quick. So, I love playing with those guys.”
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