Tag: Bryce Cain

Ryan Williams recommits to Alabama, cancels official visit to Auburn

A top target for the 2024 class has recommitted to Alabama after a successful official visit with new Crimson Tide head coach Kalen Deboer.

Dreams of “The Freeze Five” have officially vanished.

[autotag]Ryan Williams[/autotag], a top target for Auburn’s 2024 class, announced Wednesday that he has recommitted to Alabama following an official visit to Tuscaloosa over the weekend. He was pursued heavily by Auburn after Williams reclassified to the 2024 class to pair him with [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag], and [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag] in Auburn’s wide receiver room.

The news comes as a surprise, as Williams originally planned to announce his college decision and sign on his birthday, Feb. 9. Williams took his official visit to Alabama last weekend to meet with new Crimson Tide head coach, Kalen Deboer. The meeting went well, as he decided to return his pledge to Alabama.

Following Williams’ announcement, Hayes Fawcett of On3 reported that Williams is shutting down his recruitment, which means that his official visit to Auburn on Feb. 3.

Auburn currently holds the No. 8 recruiting class according to 247Sports with three five-star signees: Cam Coleman, Perry Thompson, and [autotag]Amaris Williams[/autotag]. Alabama moves to No. 3 following the commitment of Ryan Williams.

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Five-star WR Ryan Williams backs off Alabama pledge

Auburn target and former Alabama commit is back on the market following the retirement of Nick Saban.

The college football world was shaken on Wednesday afternoon after it was announced that Alabama head coach Nick Saban decided to retire following a career that spanned 28 seasons.

The news of his retirement could benefit Auburn in a myriad of ways, including the recruiting trail.

Shortly after Chris Low of ESPN broke the news of Saban’s retirement, Hayes Fawcett of On3 broke the news of five-star wide receiver and heavy Auburn target [autotag]Ryan Williams[/autotag]’s intention to de-commit from Alabama.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the Auburn coaching staff have signed four talented wide receivers to their 2024 recruiting haul: [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag], and [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag]. Not only has the coaching staff worked around the clock to flip Williams from his Alabama pledge, but so have the aforementioned receiver signees. Each signee hopes to sway Williams to join the Auburn roster so that they can complete the group that would be dubbed “The Freeze Five.”

Williams re-classified to the 2024 class, which makes him eligible to sign with a program this year. He has scheduled three official visits to Alabama, Texas, and Auburn, with Auburn getting the final visit during the weekend of Feb. 3 before officially announcing his next move on Feb. 7.

Williams is a five-star rated wide receiver by all major recruiting outlets. He is the No. 2 overall recruit from the state of Alabama behind Auburn signee Cam Coleman, and is a top-five receiver according to 247Sports, On3, ESPN, and Rivals.

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Hugh Freeze compares Cam Coleman to former Ole Miss receiver

Auburn’s top signee of the 2024 cycle plays with a style similar to one of Freeze’s best receivers ever.

Recruiting and developing receivers such as Evan Engram and DK Metcalf is what put [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] on the map during his time as the head coach at Ole Miss.

Freeze is looking to copy, or even build on, his success in developing receivers at Auburn. He is well on his way to doing that after signing what is considered to be the best receiver haul in program history.

Auburn earned the signatures of five stars [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] and [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and four-stars [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag] and [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] during the first day of the early signing period on Wednesday.

Coleman was the last piece to the puzzle, as he flipped from Texas A&M to Auburn on Dec. 1. He originally committed to the Aggies on July 5, but backed off his pledge following the dismissal of Jimbo Fisher from the program.

Despite being committed to another program, Coleman remained heavily pursued by Auburn. Freeze described his chase of Coleman as “a long process” but is one that he is happy worked in his favor.

Coleman is also seen as a receiver that can help the Tigers’ offense immediately. Freeze described what he sees in Coleman, and even compared him to a receiver he coached during his time at Ole Miss.

“Cam tracks the ball as well as any I’ve seen,” Freeze said during a recent interview with SEC Network. “I’m reminded of when we took over at Ole Miss and tried to turn that program. That first full class we had? I was able to sign a guy by the name of Laquon Treadwell that really transformed what we could do offensively. I see Cam in that same light.”

Treadwell played for Freeze at Ole Miss from 2013-15. During that time, he caught 202 passes for 2,393 yards and 21 scores over 35 games.

Can Coleman replicate Treadwell’s success at Auburn?

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Auburn’s wide receiver class named the best in the country by 247Sports

Auburn is the only program to sign multiple five-star wide receivers.

Prior to Wednesday, Ben Obomanu was the only composite five-star wide receiver to sign with Auburn. The number has now grown to three with [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] both signing with [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and Auburn during the early signing period.

But they weren’t the only receivers that wide receivers coach [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag] landed, four-star prospects [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag] and [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] both inked their letters of intent to complete the impressive haul.

The Tigers were the only program to land multiple five-star wide receivers and 247Sports believes the class is the best in the country. With national recruiting analyst Cooper Petagna believing all four have the ability to play in the NFL.

“(Freeze) has done a tremendous job. I talked about it, if you’re looking at Auburn and how they’re going to be different and separate themselves over the next couple of years, look no further than this receiver position.”

The Tigers are not done at wide receiver either, they are firmly in the mix for five-star Alabama commit [autotag]Ryan Williams[/autotag]. The Auburn legacy has been committed to the Crimson Tide since October 2002 but recently reclassified to the 2024 cycle and won’t sign with a program until February.

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Walker White earns a spot on On3’s 2024 Quarterback Superlatives list

Auburn has paired its historical wide receiver haul with a solid quarterback in Walker White.

Auburn landed its best wide receiver class in history on Wednesday.

Hugh Freeze earned the signatures of five-stars [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] and [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and four-stars [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] and [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag] on the opening day of the early signing period. For a unit that needs immediate improvement, the addition of these four players will help Auburn in its effort to compete for an SEC championship.

The next question surrounding Auburn’s receiver unit is, “Who will throw them the football?”

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has expressed his intent to keep Payton Thorne as Auburn’s quarterback for next season, but he also signed the quarterback of the future during the 2024 cycle in [autotag]Walker White[/autotag].

White is considered the No. 3 overall player from the state of Arkansas, and On3 considers White to be one of the top quarterbacks for the 2024 class.

In their 2024 Quarterback Superlative list, On3 gives White the title of “Most Physically Developed” quarterback of this year’s cycle.

At 6-foot-3.5 and around 220 pounds, Walker White has long-been one of the more physically-developed and impressive 2024 signal callers. White owns a big, muscular build that is more college ready than the vast majority of his peers. The Auburn signee is a physical, tough player who is able to shrug off defenders in the pocket and lower his shoulder to pick up extra yards as a runner. The On300 prospect led his Little Rock (Ark.) Little Rock Christian Academy team to a state title game appearance as a senior.

White is the No. 3 overall prospect from Arkansas for the 2024 cycle according to On3, and the No. 7 overall quarterback. He is apart of Auburn’s 2024 haul that ranks No. 7 overall according to On3’s rankings.

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Four-star wide receiver Bryce Cain signs letter of intent with Auburn

Bryce Cain signs with letter of intent with Auburn

The 2024 Auburn wide receiver recruiting class is absolutely loaded.

Just minutes after five-star recruits Cam Coleman and Perry “Uno” Thompson committed to the Tigers, four-star wideouts Bryce Cain and Malcolm Simmons have joined them on the Plains.

Mobile, AL native Bryce Cain is the newest signee on early signing day. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound speedster out of Baker High School is coming off a sensational season for the Hornets.

In just 11 games his senior season, Cain racked up 948 yards and 16 total touchdowns. The senior averaged 22 yards per catch, showing how he can be used as a change-of-pace weapon in [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s offense for years to come.

The 18-year-old was the 37-ranked wide receiver in the 2024 class and 13-ranked prospect in the state of Alabama.

Cain joins a projected 2024 Auburn recruiting class that ranks in the top 10 nationally according to On3. More importantly, he nearly completes the “Freeze 5” as 2024 quarterback commit [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] has put it.

That “Freeze 5” includes Cain, [autotag]Perry “Uno” Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag], and Alabama commit Ryan Williams.

While a flip from the latter isn’t likely, Auburn has now secured letters of intent from their top four wide receiver targets.

Bryce Cain may not be the star of the show, but he should fit in nicely to eventually take over the “Jay Fair role” on the Tigers offense. It helps that Cain is seemingly a little faster than Fair as well.

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Four-star WR Malcolm Simmons signs with Auburn

Malcolm Simmons is officially an Auburn Tiger.

[autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] is officially an Auburn Tiger.

The dynamic athlete signed his letter of intent with Auburn on Wednesday as a key member of Auburn’s impressive haul at wide receiver. The Tigers have signed five-stars [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] and [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] with four-star [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag] expected to be announced soon.

When Simmons committed to Auburn in July he was a three-star athlete but after a great season for Benjamin Russell and a strong showing at the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic, he shot up the ranking and is now a four-star prospect.

The 6-foot, 175-pounder caught 60 passes for 1,279 yards and 14 touchdowns in 12 games as a senior.

He is now the No. 240 overall player and No. 41 wide receiver in the 247Sports Composite ranking. The Alexander City product is also the No. 15 player in Alabama.

Stay up-to-date with the latest signing day news by checking out Auburn Wire’s early signing period tracker.

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Five-star wide receiver Cam Coleman signs letter of intent with Auburn

Five-star wide receiver Cam Coleman has signed with the Auburn Tigers

The Auburn Tigers have secured their highest-rated wide receiver recruit in program history.

The No. 1 rated high-school prospect in Alabama and No. 6 rated prospect nationally, Cameron Coleman, has officially signed his letter of intent to take his talents to Auburn this summer.

The highly-touted wide receiver had verbally committed to rival Texas A&M last year, but coaching changes along with newfound life at Auburn led the Alabama native to ultimately change his mind.

Coleman is an absolute superstar on the football field and will immediately slot in as the top option for either [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] or freshman [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] on the Auburn offense.

In his senior season for Central High School in Phenix City, AL, the 6-foot-3 wideout averaged 105.5 yards per game. He collected 1,372 yards total, scoring a team-high 18 touchdowns over 13 games.

Most importantly, Coleman helped lead his team to a State Championship just a few weeks ago. The receiver found the end zone on a long catch-and-run in that game as well.

The Coleman signing officially gives Auburn it’s best wide receiver class of all time. Coleman, [autotag]Perry “Uno” Thompson[/autotag], and [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag] all rank in the top 30 nationally and should immediately step in as the top weapons alongside tight end [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather [/autotag] on Auburn’s offense.

Thompson and Cain should have fantastic careers at Auburn, but the prize all offseason has been a commitment from [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag]. Hugh Freeze finally got it on Wednesday.

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Auburn 5-star WR target Ryan Williams reclassifies to 2024

Auburn and Hugh Freeze have been pushing to flip the elite wide receiver.

After plenty of speculation, five-star Alabama wide receiver commit and key Auburn target [autotag]Ryan Williams[/autotag] has reclassified from the 2025 class to the 2024 class.

Despite jumping up a cycle, he is still one of the top players in the country. 247Sports ranks him as the No. 14 overall prospect and No. 4 wide receiver. The Saraland product is also the No. 3 player from Alabama in the 2024 rankings.

It’s easy to see why he has been such a big priority from wide receivers coach [autotag]Marucs Davis[/autotag], Williams was named the Alabama Gatorade Player of the Year and voted Mr. Football as a sophomore. In three varsity seasons, he accounted for over 4,400 all-purpose yards and 71 total touchdowns.

He will not sign in the early signing period later the month and instead will wait until February, giving himself a chance to take several visits. He told Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente that he plans to visit Auburn, Alabama, Texas, Georgia and LSU.

Auburn has already built one of if not the best wide receivers hauls in the country, having commitments from five-stars [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] as well as four-stars [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag] and [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag]. Williams would be the final piece in a talented group that would immediately push for playing time once it arrived on the Plains.

“That’s definitely important too because you can’t do it by yourself,” Williams said. “You need other pieces around you to take some of the load off like we have at Saraland. It makes the game easier.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/C0t7Lvtsswi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

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Auburn lands Georgia State WR Robert Lewis from transfer portal

The first domino of the winter transfer portal window has fallen as Georgia State’s leading receiver has announced his pledge to Auburn.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the Auburn coaching staff can officially claim that this weekend was a success.

Auburn hosted a plethora of transfer portal occupants this weekend, and it ends with a commitment. [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag], Georgia State’s leading receiver from the 2023 season, announced his pledge to Freeze and the Auburn Tigers on Sunday evening.

Lewis spent the weekend in Auburn getting to know Freeze and wide receivers coach [autotag]Marcus Davis[/autotag]. Following his visit, he told Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover that Auburn was at the top of his list due to the program being the first to contact him. After spending time on the Plains, he became locked in.

Lewis tells Pete Nakos of On3 that he can see himself becoming a heavy contributor to the Tigers offense.

“I feel like Auburn is the right fit for me because of the scheme that they run could fit with me,” Lewis tells Nakos. “While talking about football with Coach (Marcus) Davis, we were really on the same page about a lot of things regarding my tape. We were both saying the same thing but in different verbiage. Also with the role I will be tasked with while being in the receiver room, I feel like I could help boost them to another level.”

After playing a supportive role to now-Louisville wide receiver Jamari Thrash last season at Georgia State, Lewis slid into the premier receiver role this season. He answered the call by recording 70 receptions for 877 yards and seven touchdowns.

The wide receiver position needs to be addressed this offseason, and Auburn’s coaching staff is doing a great job of enhancing the unit. Lewis becomes the first transfer portal commitment for the Tigers this season, and should be paired well with incoming freshmen [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag], and [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag].

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