The group of Auburn players that is probably talked about the most is the core of wide receivers, especially the freshmen.
Cam Coleman, Perry Thompson, Malcolm Simmons and Bryce Cain are the four freshman receivers Auburn has signed in 2024, and each of them brings a unique skill set.
“Cam has spectacular hands. I mean, you all saw the one-handed catches. Malcolm and Bryce are speedsters,” Thompson said Thursday. “I’m big and fast. I feel like everyone is unique in their own way and we bring a lot to the team.”
The four also all come from Alabama, another indication that Auburn places great importance on recruiting within the state, which is also evident in the current class of 2025.
“I think you have to win state if you want to win big football games, and like Coach Freeze says, you have to recruit in your own backyard,” Thompson said. “I think we’re getting some good players in our own backyard and trying to win a national championship.”
Coleman was the highest-ranked of the four coming out of high school and was undoubtedly the most praised early in the season.
His size and athleticism are unusual, especially for someone who only turned 18 in August. That, combined with his hands and ability to make contested catches, was one of the storylines of fall camp.
“Cam Coleman, it’s unbelievable. The catches he makes are just – wow. I don’t know how he really makes them,” Cain told reporters Thursday.
Thompson was the other top-100 recruit of the four to transfer from Alabama to Auburn during his recruitment. He didn’t arrive on campus until the summer but was able to show flashes at times during fall camp.
“Perry is definitely growing every day, getting one percent better every day, because when he came here, he was really just learning, like I was in the spring – he was just learning the basic fundamentals,” Coleman said Thursday.
With a height of 1.90 m and a weight of 100 kg, he stands out from the others because of his size.
“Perry is the powerful one. He’s just going to get past people and get free,” Simmons said Thursday.
Simmons is another player who recently made a splash during fall camp. He came out of nearby Benjamin Russell High School in Alexander City, where he was a star in two sports, football and track, and signed with Auburn.
His athletics background is evident in his outstanding speed, which has caught the attention of many players and coaches since his arrival in the summer.
“Malcolm, that man is awesome,” Coleman said. “He’s just naturally fast. You can be in good shape, he just runs. He’s just fast and always plays hard.”
Cain is a similar player to Simmons, but his best attribute is his speed. In his senior year at Baker High School in Mobile, he caught 43 passes for 948 yards and 16 touchdowns.
He and Coleman were the only two first-year receivers to enroll early, allowing them to participate in spring camp.
“Bryce has really grown since the spring. He’s faster, bigger, stronger and his hands are much better,” Coleman said.
