The timeline for the official visits and interest process for the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 2 overall transfer, Cam Coleman, has been a tedious task to cover.
Originally, Coleman appeared fixed on five teams: Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, USC, and Alabama.
The Longhorns got the first crack at Coleman, hosting him for multiple days over the past weekend. Then, it was Texas A&M’s turn. The two early frontrunners for the star outside receiver had made contact.
From there, however, the process became more complicated. USC decided to withdraw its name from the hat following the acquisition of NC State transfer Terrell Anderson. Coleman had been expected in Los Angeles on January 8.
Coleman was originally set to visit Texas Tech on Tuesday, but that trip was moved to today. Coleman is in Lubbock now according to On3’s Pete Nakos.
Alabama is the last domino, and a major one for the Yellowhammer State product. Coleman hails from Phenix City, right on the border of Georgia and Alabama. His home state’s flagship program expects to host him for a visit later in the week.
As today winds down, we will continue to hear reports from top insiders about where Coleman’s heart lies, and whether that truly is in the state of Texas.
With the first crack, Texas’ pitch is an easy one to sell. He would have the best quarterback of the group in Arch Manning throwing him passes (especially with Ty Simpson heading to the pros), get to play in the city of Austin, and join a program with a tremendous track record of sending transfers to the NFL in the first two rounds. Texas should also be able to put forth an extremely compelling NIL package.
By the time he left Austin, Manning, Ryan Wingo, and Colin Simmons—three stars and leaders on the Texas roster—would have had ample time to make their case to the 6-foot-4 outside winner.
What of the other teams involved?
In Aggieland, Texas A&M’s pitch revolves around the 2025 season. The Aggies made the College Football Playoff in their head coach’s second year. Coleman would be an undisputed No. 1 option for Marcel Reed, similar to KC Concepcion this past season, who will likely be a first-round pick after transferring in.
Notably, Coleman was committed to Texas A&M for quite some time. The Aggies had him for five months on the back end of the 2024 recruiting cycle before he flipped to Auburn late in the process. There is a ton of familiarity with the program, and it makes sense why he would consider returning to a place he once expected to call home.
Texas Tech has a unique appeal, one they are selling to Coleman right now. First, they believe they have a top quarterback in transfer Brendan Sorsby. That is an easy selling point, though nowhere near as strong as the one Manning provides for Texas.
Additionally, Coleman would be facing Big 12 competition while playing for the clear powerhouse in the conference, one whose offense should be significantly improved. It would seem like a one-way ticket to a top-15 NFL pick.
Lastly: oil.
Cody Campbell’s pockets are deep, and it would not be surprising to see Texas Tech put out an “F U” type of offer that is simply too much for a young man to decline.
All three of these Lone Star State programs would most likely pay the price needed to add On3’s top player in the transfer portal. That begs the question: how important is the price tag to Coleman, and how high can it go?
Texas still feels it is in a good spot, and it should. If national title odds were released tomorrow, the Longhorns would likely be near the top of the list whether that is a fair expectation or not. He would have the chance to play with the best quarterback of the group and turn clear potential into stardom.
If his goal is to maximize his chances of becoming an NFL star, the clear choice is Austin, a program that has sent three receivers in as many years into top-50 draft slots. Texas A&M and Alabama will each sit at one after this year’s draft.
But that does not mean the pitches from the other Texas programs—and Alabama—are not convincing. All four of these programs have enjoyed recent success, and all four have deep pockets. How much does his past relationship with Texas A&M matter? How important is staying close to home? How much is too much to say no to?
These are all questions we must ask as this process wears on, with the trip to Lubbock offering another data point here today.