Just a month into Alex Golesh’s hiring at Auburn, the head coach is already facing an uphill battle. A total of 27 players have already decided to enter the transfer portal, and now one of the team’s ace five-star talents has also done the same. To make matters worse, Cole Coleman is adamant about not returning to the Tigers, despite the program’s aggressive push.

The move is a major blow for the former USF head coach, but it is understandable since Coleman hasn’t yet reached his full potential at Auburn. By transferring, the WR is looking to use his remaining eligibility to bolster his NFL draft stock.

“Cam Coleman hitting the portal, what does it mean for Auburn? And is there a chance they could talk him back onto the roster?” ON3’s Josh Newberg asked Auburn insider Jeffrey Lee on December 30.

“There’s a chance. Yes, sure. I mean, none of these guys have actually entered the portal. They’ve just declared their intentions to enter the portal,” Jeffrey replied.

“But I think all the hopes with Cam Coleman were that they could get this thing done now. And they’ve been working extremely hard behind the scenes to appease him to alleviate any doubts that he might have had. I think experience at quarterback was absolutely paramount to what he wants in a team,” Lee explained.

Losing Cam Coleman will thin the WR unit for Alex Golesh. Wide receivers Horatio Fields and Cam’Ron King, along with Malcolm Simmons, have already announced their portal decisions. Factor in other receivers like Perry Thompson and now Cam Coleman deciding the same, and Golesh will be forced to rebuild the unit from scratch.

As for Coleman, the WR is as good as they come. Just this year, the 6’3″ and 201 lb WR accumulated 708 yards and 5 touchdowns after receiving for 598 yards in 2024. Plus, Coleman was the 3rd-ranked player of the 2024 class and was the second-ranked receiver in the country. Due to his credentials, it’s challenging to find a player as capable as Coleman if he were to depart. Unfortunately, for Auburn fans, their last memory of Coleman will be the fumble against Alabama, which cost them the Iron Bowl.

Why doesn’t Cam Coleman want to come back to Auburn?

Ever since the 2020 season, Auburn hasn’t managed to find a solid QB under center. During the Bryan Harsin era, the program featured T.J. Finley and Zach Calzada, both of whom were incoming transfers. Consequently, the program finished with a 5-7 record in 2022. Moreover, when Hugh Freeze came to Auburn, the issues persisted.

Freeze brought in Payton Thorne from Michigan State, and the move again backfired. The Tigers’ offense ranked 124th in the season, and in 2024, Thorne was even briefly benched. The issues persisted, and this year the same story unfolded, resulting in Oklahoma transfer QB Jackson Arnold being benched mid-season. Looking for a fresh start, Golesh is now trying to bring QB Byrum Brown from his old stomping ground.

“Even though Byron Brown, from USF, presumably is coming to Auburn. You would think that would give Auburn kind of a leg up with Cam Coleman.” said Jeffery Lee. “I think the money was there, north of $2 million. And I think he was going to get basically double his pay. But I think in the end that quarterback concern for him.

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In the end, he wanted a proven starter with experience, and Auburn just didn’t have that,” Jefferey added.

Notably, Byrum Brown has decided to enter the transfer portal, and reports indicate that he is heavily linked to Auburn come January 2. The senior QB has 7,690 passing yards to his name, along with 2,265 yards on the ground. Additionally, he is familiar with the offense from his time under Golesh.

Despite that silver lining, Coleman risking his final year seems a no-go, despite being offered a $1 million pay increase. Auburn already boasts several failed transfer QBs, starting from Finley, and the history would worry anyone. Fearing the same consequence as in 2025, Coleman finally seems to be moving away from Auburn, and currently, reports are connecting him to a move to Tuscaloosa.