The moment Hugh Freeze was fired at Auburn, speculating about the future of players such as Cam Coleman began. If Coleman did enter the NCAA transfer portal, he would instantly become one of the more popular names in there. He ultimately decided to leave the Plains, winding up in Austin to play for Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns.
As it turns out, leaving Auburn “wasn’t really that hard” for Coleman. He did not go further into the reasoning when speaking with local media on Wednesday morning. But the star wide receiver does not appear too beat up about the decision. In fact, Coleman is excited about how he is fitting into the Texas offense already.
“Just a lot of prayer, a lot of thought,” Coleman said of his decision to join the Longhorns. “A lot of talk with my family. Really, just finding the best opportunity for me… What [Texas] has been doing in the past, what they’ve got rolling, going on here. Really, it was just a good fit for me.”
As for why Coleman considers Texas a good fit for himself, one name stands out more than others — Arch Manning. The quarterback returns for his second season as the full-time starter.
Manning is limited in spring practice due to an injury, only getting out there in certain situations. Still, Coleman feels as if the connection between him and Manning is growing on a daily basis.
“We’re building chemistry every day,” Coleman said. “Throwing every day. Really just watching film. He even tells me where he wants me to be on routes. So really, just building chemistry every day.”
Coleman dealt with a handful of quarterbacks during his time at Auburn. Five different guys trotted out there as the starter at one point. Ashton Daniels was the latest during the regular season finale vs. Alabama in the Iron Bowl. To begin 2025, Jackson Arnold was the one Freeze trotted out there.
Production was still there for Coleman, considering the circumstances. He caught 56 passes for 708 yards, both of which were career highs. But the touchdown number did slightly dip, coming in at five after being eight as a true freshman.
There is not really much doubt who will be throwing to Coleman this fall. Manning and Coleman project to be one of the top duos in the SEC, if not all of college football. And apparently, making the switch was an easy one for him.