ESPN's Greg McElroy Gives Big Reason Why He Ranks Auburn In His Top 25

Assembling a wealth of young wide receiver talent has become a calling card of Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze.

Last year, the “Freeze Four" lived up to their early billing with Cam Coleman and Malcolm Simmons making immediate impacts as true freshmen, with Perry Thompson looking for a breakout year as a sophomore. 

Coleman, Simmons, and Thompson will be joined by transfer portal additions Eric Singleton and Horatio Fields this season, and ESPN’s Greg McElroy believes the collective strength of the unit could propel AU to success moving forward.

McElroy placed the unranked Tigers at No. 20 in his personal Top 25, and the wide receivers are a big reason why. 

"Hugh Freeze has done a great job of recognizing: ‘What I need to solidify in order to take this program to the next level.’ He knows he has Cam Coleman,” McElroy declared on the 'Always College Football' show. “He knows he's got a great talent at wide receiver, but they wanted to get a little bit more versatility by adding Eric Singleton from Georgia Tech.

“He's one of the best transfer portal players in the entire country. He's an All-ACC player from a year ago, with remarkable top-end speed."

Singleton's 56 grabs for 714 yards and 6 touchdowns last year at Georgia Tech suggest that he could be unleashed as a deep ball threat for Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold.

The extra speed element, which Singleton will add to the mix on the opposite side to Coleman, will make it extremely difficult to bracket the duo in coverage. It should also help open up the slot receiver and running game. 

"You also get some length in Horatio Fields that can go up and win some of those contested catch situations," McElroy declared. "So you add 2 really solid wide receiver transfers to what was already an emerging wide receiver room."

Freeze went and got his quarterback in the portal. He got his bookend tackles as well. Throw in an experienced pair of receivers, and this offense has the potential to be light years more efficient and explosive than last year’s struggling unit.