Auburn Tigers' Phenom Cam Coleman Playing 'Faster' is Defense's Nightmare

Auburn Tigers sophomore wide receiver Cam Coleman arrived with a lot of fanfare as a five-star freshman and headliner in the “Freeze Four” of talented receivers. 

Despite a setback midseason as he battled a shoulder injury, he lived up to the hype. He finished his freshman campaign with 306 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Leaning on LA Chargers wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith last season for mentorship, the Tigers have another veteran transfer in Horatio Fields from Wake Forest who has adopted a leadership role for the Tigers.   

"Horatio, he's a little older than me, so he'll tell me things I need to work on and what they've experienced in college because they have a little more experience than me," Coleman said after practice this week. "Really just soaking in that information like a sponge and just taking stuff out of their playbooks."

As Coleman continues to grow and find new mentors, the valuable sounding board and framework Lambert-Smith left behind remains vibrant.

"I texted him the other day and told him the deep balls he's been catching. I taught him that," Coleman joked on Wednesday. "I really look up to KeAndre because of the way he approaches the game. The way he takes care of his body, the way he does everything with a serious mindset, so I look up to KeAndre."

Coleman has taken what he’s learned from the veterans and blended it with his God-given ability to try and become an even bigger threat as he makes the leap into his sophomore season. 

"When you're on the field and you know where everyone on the field is going - last year, I knew what everybody was doing, but I was really focused on what I had to do. Now I know everybody and what everybody is doing, so it allows me to play faster.

“I've taken steps forward in the playbook, really, just taking care of my body, and really just the small details.”  

A Cam Coleman who is playing faster without having to think about what’s going around him is a scary proposition for defensive backs and a dream scenario for new quarterback Jackson Arnold.