Young Auburn Tigers Send Message while Dismantling ULM

The Auburn Tigers freshmen reminded everyone against ULM that they'll be a force to reckon with before their time is done in the SEC.

Auburn Tigers freshman wide receiver Cam Coleman flexed his skills in a three-touchdown day on Saturday against ULM. / David Gray/Auburn Tigers

When Auburn dismantled ULM on Saturday, they sent a message. The message left the hands of many senders and possesses an intentional target. Looking at the stat sheet, the freshman Tigers made their mark, delivering their message to the future Tigers, committed or being recruited.

Future commits saw a potential glimpse of their future. Give Hugh Freeze his due. After a mountain-sized load of grief from fans and pundits alike, Freeze earned his keep with stellar recruiting classes early in his tenure.

Understanding

Freeze knows that the future resides in the young players. Payton Thorne made sure that the standout freshmen, Cam Coleman and Malcolm Simmons enjoyed an overwhelming number of touches.

Coleman and Simmons combined for 14 of Auburn's 24 receptions on Saturday and totaled 163 yards and four touchdowns.

Freeze, for the first time in a while, flashed the ability to blend veterans and young skill position talent. 

"Proud of our staff and kids. It was one of our better performances in my time here, zero penalties, should have been zero turnovers," lamented Freeze. "We have to take care of the football, even our young kids. Two receivers over 100 yards. It’s been a while since that has happened, and one with three touchdowns with Cam Coleman’s performance."

Coleman Shines

When he stepped onto The Plains, everyone expected the highly-touted Coleman to immediately thrive. Well, SEC football provides the steepest of learning curves. Before Saturday, Coleman's numbers (15-292-2) neither impressed or dazzled anyone. 

However, Coleman caught eight of nine targets for 100 yards and three scores. The flashes of brilliance became sustained glare at the immediate future of Auburn football. As Keandre Lambert-Smith plies his trade in the NFL next year, Coleman should assume the number-one wideout on the team. 

A work of art by Cam Coleman 🎨 @AuburnFootball pic.twitter.com/4BDEeJjHHs

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 16, 2024

“These last two are going to be some tough ones, so really, we're going to use this as a confidence booster," Freeze continued. "Then when we prepare this week, we'll keep the momentum flowing this week and the week after that. So really, the way we prepare, practice and pay attention to detail throughout this whole week, and just continue to do that.”

The Message

Right now, Auburn, according to 247 Sports owns the No. 5 recruiting class for 2025 and No. 7 for 2026. With 28-hard commits, the team will teem with young talent that rivals anyone in the SEC. The beatdown of ULM sends a clear signal that freshmen will get a chance to play early and not just at wideout.

 Freshman safety Kaleb Harris saw his snaps increase and co-led the team in tackles with five. Linebacker Demarcus Riddick got his first start, and defensive lineman Malik Blocton has been contributing all season.

With so many players leaving due to graduation, opportunities abound.

Bottom Line

If Auburn reclaims its seat among SEC royalty, this game will not immediately come to mind. Yet, with all eyes on the team, the opportunity to thrive and look great at home does not go underdiscussed. Social media and conversation among commits exist in real time - including quarterback commitment Deuce Knight who was in attendance.

In what could be a transformational recruiting class, a throwaway game versus ULM could be the tipping point; a singular moment where the stars aligned for Auburn football.