Hugh Freeze wants to be ‘patient’ with new star receivers

Auburn’s coach made sure to temper expectations for his highly touted freshman.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is well aware that his top two offensive recruits, receivers [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] have received plenty of hype from analysts and fans a like. The second-year head coach spent some time tampering with the expectations that come with the hype, at least for the immediate future.

The Tigers leader opened up specifically about Thompson, who is “a little behind” in learning the playbook. Even with the former five-star recruit needing “to spend a lot more time on his own studying the installs”, Freeze pointed out how he would like his coveted receiving prospect to make an impact this season. Freeze cited Thompson’s talent before adding, “he’s going to be heck of a player. I hope he does it in year one.

Coleman is more likely to make an immediate impact on the Plains, at least according to his head coach. While Auburn’s leader let media members know Coleman has “earned” the right to play right away, he also tempered expectations, suffixing his comments by saying “I want everyone to give him a little patience, too, as he grows up and learns the game and plays in SEC environments.”

It’s clear Coleman, who was recently rated the Tigers sixth best offensive player in EA College Football 25, is likely to have a huge impact in year one on the Plains. While his friend and fellow five-star Thompson may take a little longer to achieve “impact player” status, Freeze believes both could be scoring plenty of touchdowns on the Plains before too long.

As is the case with most freshman, there will be growing pains along the way. We’ll see how much of an impression the young receiving duo can make on the Auburn offense when the Tigers kick off on August 31.

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