Good injury news, breaking down Arkansas and a lot more from Tuesday
Good injury news, breaking down Arkansas and a lot more from Tuesday
Auburn looks like it could be a lot closer to 100% for the SEC opener. Here's more on that and some crucial matchups on both sides of the ball.
WR Cam Coleman (Austin Perryman/Auburn Tigers)
Hank Brown did exactly what plenty of Auburn fans wanted to see from him in his first career start last Saturday.
Brown completed nearly 70% of his passes, didn’t turn the ball over and hit 10 different Tigers for completions — including four who scored touchdowns. He got the ball out of his hands quickly and efficiently, and he hit all of his deeper shots downfield.
Of course, it’s important to point out that Brown’s success came against the worst defense in the FBS. The competition gets much tougher, starting this week with a visit from Arkansas.
But it’s also important to point out that Brown didn’t have arguably the most talented wide receiver on the Auburn roster out there, as Cam Coleman sat out with a shoulder injury he suffered late in Week 2 against Cal.
“We have a great relationship,” Brown said Tuesday, before Auburn hit the practice field. “Cam is an awesome young man. … He's just having fun and, obviously, he's a freak of an athlete. Being able to get him back this week will be huge.”
On Monday morning, Hugh Freeze said he was “hopeful” that Coleman — along with right tackle Izavion “Too Tall” Miller — would be able to play in the SEC opener this weekend, but it was too early to tell.
On Tuesday afternoon, during a brief media viewing window, Coleman was fully participating in practice for the Tigers.
While he was in a yellow non-contact jersey, that is usually a good sign that a player is on track to play Saturday. (We’ve seen this with several players this season, including redshirt freshman cornerback JC Hart.)
Auburn obviously doesn’t want to take any chances with pre-game contact for the former 5-star. And, keep in mind that last Tuesday, Coleman didn’t participate in practice during the viewing window and instead worked out inside the indoor facility. Nothing is guaranteed with injuries, but Coleman’s return to action is promising.
(Also: Miller, who suffered a hip injury against Cal and didn’t play against New Mexico, was a full participant in practice and did not have a yellow non-contact jersey. The same went for cornerback Kayin Lee, who sat out Week 3 with a calf strain. Lee didn’t appear to have anything on that injured calf in practices.)
Coleman made a splash in his first college game two weeks ago, snagging a 44-yard touchdown pass and an 18-yard gain against Alabama A&M. Against Cal, he got rolling quickly with a 41-yard completion and later had a 12-yard pickup.
Through three games, the true freshman trio of Coleman, Perry Thompson and Malcolm Simmons each have 100 receiving yards and are averaging more than 20 yards per catch. KeAndre Lambert-Smith is leading the way with seven receptions, 182 yards and three touchdowns.
Coleman’s status will continued to be monitored throughout the week, as Auburn’s SEC opener will mark the first time the team will submit league-mandated injury reports. The first of those is set to drop Wednesday. They will be updated daily, and the final one will release 90 minutes before kickoff Saturday.
SEC guidelines state that a player must be listed as available, probable, questionable, doubtful or out during the week. On game days, they are listed as available, game-time decision or out. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Coleman listed as questionable throughout the week, given that he’s clearly not at 100%.
But fans looking for some positive injury news with Coleman ahead of the conference opener got just that.
Coleman’s return to the practice field wasn’t the only thing we saw and heard Tuesday afternoon at the Football Performance Center. Here’s what you need to know as the Tigers continue to ramp up their preparation for the Razorbacks.
QB Hank Brown and RB Jarquez Hunter (Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers)