Malcolm Simmons – Syndication Server

Jay Fair becomes second Tiger to enter transfer portal

Fair logged 34 catches for 358 yards and two touchdowns in two seasons at Auburn.

The spring transfer portal window has been relatively quiet for Auburn, as just two players have declared their intention to depart from the program.

Joining defensive lineman [autotag]Brenton Williams[/autotag], wide receiver [autotag]Jay Fair[/autotag] has also elected to dip into the transfer portal after spending two seasons on the Plains.

Fair was a notable player heading into the 2023 season following a successful training camp. The hype bled into the season as he made 14 catches for 174 yards and two touchdowns in Auburn’s first three games. However, his production dipped as he managed to record just 17 catches for 150 yards and zero scores over the final 10 games.

Despite his late struggles, Fair was second in receptions with 31, third in yards with 324, and tied for third with two touchdown catches. Auburn’s leading receiver, [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag], returns to the team for the 2024 season. At the same time, true freshmen [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag], [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag], and [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] are expected to enter the receiver rotation.

Auburn has received one commitment from the spring window, former Indiana defensive lineman Philip Blidi. Former Penn State receiver [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] and former USC [autotag]Isaiah Raikes[/autotag] are also high on Auburn’s board.

BREAKING: Auburn WR Jay Fair plans to enter the Transfer Portal, he tells @on3sports

The 5’11 186 WR was a 2 year starter for the Tigers

2nd on the team in yards & receptions, averaged 11 yards per catch

Will have 2 years of eligibility remaining https://t.co/QF4bT5n3rg pic.twitter.com/Q9wQOZMGlY

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) April 20, 2024

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

Former Penn State WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith schedules official visit to Auburn

Who says there is such a thing as too much talent in your wide receiver room?

Auburn is set to have one of its most talented wide receiver rooms in recent memory as Georgia State’s leading receiver from last season, [autotag]Robert Lewis[/autotag], joins the roster in addition to true freshmen [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag], and [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag].

However, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] wants to give his quarterbacks every advantage possible. Because of this, he is pursuing one of the top wide receivers in the transfer portal.

Former Penn State wide receiver [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] entered the transfer portal this week, and is already filling his calendar with official visits. According to Pete Nakos of On3, Lambert-Smith will be in Auburn for his official visit beginning Thursday.

Lambert-Smith had a productive career at Penn State. In four seasons, he logged 1,721 yards on 126 catches with 11 touchdowns. He completed his best season in 2023 by hauling in 53 passes for 673 yards, both were career-highs. He also tied his career-best in touchdowns with four.

He was Penn State’s highest-graded receiver according to Pro Football Focus with a 74.0. He caught 53 of 85 targeted passes with 11 contested catches and five drops.

Lambert-Smith has scheduled for Texas A&M that will take place following his Auburn visit this weekend. Colorado and West Virginia are other known schools that are actively pursuing Lambert-Smith.

All eyes will be on Cam Coleman during Saturday’s A-Day game

CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah feels that Coleman is the first step to rebuilding Auburn’s passing game.

Auburn fans will finally get the chance to watch one of the nation’s top incoming freshmen in action on Saturday.

Five-star wide receiver [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] will make his much-awaited debut on Saturday when he takes the field for the A-Day game at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Coleman is seen as an answer to Auburn’s passing woes from the 2023 season, which ranked dead last in the SEC and No. 121 in the nation with 163.9 yards per game. That is why experts at CBS Sports will keep an eye on him this Saturday.

CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah recently shared his list of freshmen to watch during the spring season, which included Coleman. Jeyarajah believes Coleman is the first step to rebuilding Auburn’s passing game.

Auburn’s passing offense was a joke in 2023, but Coleman adds an instant shot of adrenaline to the unit. Listed as the No. 5 overall player in the Top247, Coleman is one of the most exciting young prospects in the class. With a 6-foot-3 frame and impressive length, he should provide an instant safety blanket for Auburn’s middling quarterback room. Combined with fellow top-40 recruit Perry Thompson, the Tigers should quickly find some answers in the outside passing game.

Coleman is one of four talented receivers to sign with Auburn’s 2024 signing class. He, alongside four-star receiver [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag], is on campus and is going through spring practice. They will soon be joined by five-star [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] and four-star [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] to form the strongest recruiting class of wide receivers in Auburn history.

The first step of Coleman’s journey to becoming an Auburn legend begins at the annual A-Day game at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. CT.

Auburn reveals jersey numbers for 2024 early enrollees

2024 signees such as Cam Coleman, Walker White, and Joseph Phillips have secured their jersey numbers ahead of spring practice.

Auburn football will begin this week, and they will have several members of its No. 7 ranked 2024 recruiting class joining them.

Signees such as wide receivers [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] and [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] will enroll this summer, but the Tigers will still have the likes of [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Walker White[/autotag], [autotag]Joseph Phillips[/autotag], and [autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag] on campus to go through spring exercises and to get ahead start to their college careers.

Ahead of the start of spring practices, Auburn football revealed the numbers that each early enrollee will wear during their first season on the Plains. Here is a look at which 2024 signees will participate in spring practice, as well as the number they will be representing on their jerseys.

Cam Coleman poised to make an immediate impact at Auburn

Manny Navarro of The Athletic believes that Coleman will quickly turn heads as a true freshman.

Auburn football hopes to make great offensive strides in 2024, and true freshman [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] could be a main component in its progression.

Writers at The Athletic recently shared their thoughts on the 2024 SEC recruiting haul, and which players could turn heads quickly. When asked to reveal his pick for the player who could make the biggest impact, Manny Navarro chose Auburn’s top signee.

I wanted to go with (Ryan) Williams at Alabama because of the Crimson Tide’s need for help at the position, but he’s not enrolling until this summer. So, I’m going with another five-star receiver already on campus: Auburn’s Cam Coleman. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound Phenix City, Ala., native could quickly become Payton Thorne’s favorite target this coming season as the Tigers look to open up the offense under new coordinator Derrick Nix, who helped run a top-20 scoring and passing offense at Ole Miss last season.

Grace Raynor feels that Coleman will also have a great season, citing his performance during Under Armour All-American practices. Raynor ultimately chose Tennessee‘s Mike Matthews while Ari Wasserman is expecting Texas‘ Ryan Wingo to make the biggest impact in the SEC.

Coleman signed with Auburn as the No. 2 wide receiver in the 2024 class and as the top recruit from the state of Alabama from nearby Phenix City. He, along with [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Cain[/autotag], and [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] make up the top wide receiver signing class in Auburn history.

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.

NEWS: Five-Star Plus+ WR Ryan Williams tells me he has Cancelled his visit to Auburn & has officially shut down his Recruitment

The Top 5 Recruit in the ‘24 Class committed to the Crimson Tide earlier this evening

Williams will sign his NLI in Februaryhttps://t.co/1OwJu4XFXW pic.twitter.com/v9b23S9vbN

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 25, 2024

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.

BREAKING: Five-Star Plus+ WR Ryan Williams tells me he has Decommitted from Alabama

The Top 10 Recruit in the ‘24 Class will Commit & Sign in February

The Departure of Coach Saban & Wiggins played a major factor in his decision, Williams saidhttps://t.co/xI19QG2kaY pic.twitter.com/KQdMZBfCEd

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 10, 2024

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?

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.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15

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.