Auburn is’still not quite good enough’ in the SEC, but an Alabama writer sends roses to Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton Jr.

There’s no shame in finishing third in the SEC. Unless you’re Auburn football, trying to climb out of Alabama’s and Georgia’s shadow. Hugh Freeze’s second season is still in its early chapters, but the offseason buzz—while improved—still carries a tinge of an all-too-familiar phrase: “almost.”

That’s the word circling Auburn’s rise in the recruiting and spring football world this year. “Almost” has become synonymous with “still not quite good enough.” But that phrase deserves an asterisk, especially when it comes to two players who are rewriting Auburn’s ceiling in real-time—five-star wide receiver Cam Coleman and four-star burner Eric Singleton Jr.

Even from across the state, Alabama writers can recognize talent when they see it. Consider this a delivery of roses from the Crimson side of the aisle. Because while Auburn may not yet be complete, those two wideouts look special—and even the most partisan of critics can’t deny it.

Auburn fans have endured a turbulent past few seasons. From the chaotic final days of Gus Malzahn to the ill-fated Bryan Harsin era, the program has craved stability. Hugh Freeze has brought some of that, but in the cutthroat world of the SEC, stability is only step one. The next step? Contending.

Freeze’s Tigers went 6-7 last season, including a humiliating loss to New Mexico State and the heartbreak of giving up a miracle touchdown to Alabama in the Iron Bowl. Auburn looked competent at times, competitive on occasion, but rarely complete. And that’s still the case entering the 2025 season.

The Tigers’ defense is undergoing transition, the offensive line remains a work in progress, and most importantly—the quarterback position still raises more questions than it answers.

Holden Geriner and Hank Brown have been serviceable in spring camp, but neither looks ready to challenge the SEC elite. Incoming freshman Walker White is promising, but raw. And yet, somehow, Auburn’s offense has shown flashes of brilliance this spring—and it’s largely because of two electric young receivers.

Let’s start with Cam Coleman, the top-ranked wide receiver in Auburn’s 2024 class and a crown jewel in Freeze’s recruiting efforts.

Coleman wasn’t just a major signing. He was the signing. A 6-foot-3, 190-pound physical specimen from Phenix City, Alabama, Coleman stunned the recruiting world when he flipped from Texas A&M to Auburn. That wasn’t just a regional recruiting win—it was symbolic. For years, Auburn had watched its top in-state talent leave for Alabama, Georgia, or out-of-region bluebloods. But Coleman’s decision signaled a potential shift.

And he hasn’t disappointed. In spring ball, he’s been nothing short of dominant.

Whether it’s winning contested balls over Auburn’s top cornerbacks, stretching the field with his elite catch radius, or running crisp routes beyond his age, Coleman looks like a Sunday player wearing Saturday colors.

“Cam Coleman is already playing like an NFL X-receiver,” one Auburn assistant told reporters in late April. “There’s nothing he can’t do. His floor is high, and his ceiling is outrageous.”

SEC defensive backs are on notice. If Auburn figures out how to consistently get the ball into Coleman’s hands, he could be the Tigers’ most dangerous offensive weapon since Sammie Coates and Duke Williams were terrorizing secondaries nearly a decade ago.

While Coleman grabs the headlines, another receiver has quietly made a huge impression—Eric Singleton Jr.

The Georgia Tech transfer was relatively under the radar when he hit the portal, but Freeze and his staff saw untapped potential. And they were right.

Singleton brings something Auburn has desperately lacked in recent years: blistering speed.

With a reported 10.4-second 100-meter dash under his belt and elite acceleration off the line, Singleton has emerged as the perfect complement to Coleman. During Auburn’s spring practices and scrimmages, he showcased his ability to separate vertically and take the top off defenses.

He doesn’t just create space—he erases it.

Singleton had a breakout season with Georgia Tech as a freshman, recording 59 receptions for 800+ yards and six touchdowns. But in Auburn’s more aggressive offensive scheme, his numbers could skyrocket.

“He’s a cheat code,” Freeze said during Auburn’s spring game. “Defensive backs can’t keep up with him. It’s like he hits the turbo button, and they don’t have one.”

While defenses focus on bracketing Coleman, Singleton is going to be a nightmare to handle in single coverage. And that’s where Auburn’s blueprint becomes intriguing.

It’s not hyperbole to say that this is Auburn’s most talented wide receiver duo since the days of Coates, Williams, and a young Ricardo Louis. But even that group didn’t enter the season with this much raw upside.

Auburn has historically been known for defense, running backs, and physical trench play—but the wide receiver room has lagged behind, particularly during the post-Malzahn era. Coleman and Singleton might change that narrative permanently.

They’re dynamic. They’re explosive. And more importantly, they’re young.

Coleman still has three years of eligibility. Singleton has two. If Auburn can find a steady hand at quarterback, they’ll have one of the most dangerous receiver duos in the SEC, and potentially the country.

They’re the kind of players who don’t just make plays—they tilt the field.

And that, more than anything, is what has Alabama fans and writers paying attention.

As someone who has covered Alabama football for the past decade, I’ll admit—I’ve seen plenty of Auburn hype cycles come and go. There’s always a spring buzz. A breakout name. A few social media clips that go viral. But rarely do I find myself genuinely impressed.

Cam Coleman and Eric Singleton Jr. have changed that.

Coleman’s body control, ball-tracking, and maturity at such a young age is eye-opening. Singleton’s speed reminds me of Jaylen Waddle—not just fast, but dangerous. And together, they’re the kind of tandem that could give even Alabama’s loaded secondary fits in the Iron Bowl.

Respect where it’s due.

It doesn’t mean Auburn is suddenly SEC West favorites, or that they’ll leapfrog Alabama or Georgia this fall. There’s still a talent gap in the trenches. There are still quarterback questions. And there are still scars from a program trying to recover its identity.

But if Auburn is going to climb back into relevance, it starts with players like Coleman and Singleton.

Now comes the hard part for Hugh Freeze: turning talent into production.

Freeze has long been considered a strong recruiter and a creative play-caller, but his Auburn offense last season was disjointed. The run game showed flashes. The passing game lagged behind. And despite the raw skill on the perimeter, Auburn rarely found rhythm.

Freeze can’t afford to waste the gifts he’s been given. Coleman and Singleton aren’t just pieces of a puzzle—they are the puzzle. Everything on offense should run through them.

That means tailoring game plans to create space. Designing motion and tempo to maximize mismatches. And most critically—identifying a quarterback who can deliver the football on time and accurately.

So far, Freeze has danced around naming a starter. Geriner is a known quantity. Hank Brown has shown flashes. And Walker White is a potential future star. But Auburn’s ceiling this season doesn’t hinge on who takes the snaps—it hinges on whether that player can connect with Coleman and Singleton consistently.

If Freeze figures that out, Auburn becomes dangerous. Not just feisty. Not just a potential upset team. But a legitimate threat to finish in the SEC’s top three.

To be clear, Auburn is still likely a year away. The trenches need fortifying. The defense needs leadership. The quarterback battle must produce a winner, not just a survivor.

But wide receiver? Auburn has arrived.

That’s a sentence I couldn’t write with sincerity for years. It’s why these roses are more than symbolic. They’re overdue.

In a league that produces elite receivers like Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, and Jermaine Burton, Auburn has finally entered the conversation. And Coleman, in particular, has the tools to go down as one of the greats—if he gets the right support.

Singleton, meanwhile, will be one of the SEC’s most feared deep threats the moment the season begins. He might not get the same national buzz, but make no mistake—defensive coordinators know what’s coming.

So yes, Auburn still feels a step behind the SEC’s upper class. But for the first time in years, they have weapons that can change games, not just keep them close.

And that alone deserves recognition—even from Tuscaloosa.

Auburn might still be “not quite good enough” in the grand scheme of the SEC, but that’s only part of the story. Because when you zoom in on what’s happening in that wide receiver room—when you see the talent, the explosiveness, the potential—you realize something important: