Fall camp standouts: Five Auburn players who impressed during fall camp

With the season opener less than two weeks away, Auburn football’s 2024 fall camp is now in the books as classes started Monday.

The Tigers entered this fall camp with fewer questions than last season, but there were still multiple areas on the team that carried questions and uncertainties into the season.

Those remaining questions opened the door for players to raise their stock during fall camp, and even play their way into bigger roles.

With that said, here are five players who stood out during fall camp.

WR Cam Coleman

No other Auburn player grabbed as much attention as Coleman this offseason.

The freshman from Phenix City was Auburn’s highest ranked player in its 2024 recruiting class and a top five recruit in the country.

He enrolled early, already spending spring camp at Auburn. Coleman gave fans and the Auburn staff a glimpse of what he was capable of during the spring, and he continues to impress now.

At 6-foot-3, 197 pounds, Coleman’s size and athleticism makes him unique. That combined with his impressive hands led him to make big catch after big catch during camp.

Players and coaches raved about Coleman’s ability and spectacular catches at every opportunity during fall camp.

“You think a ball is overthrown or too high or whatever the case may be, and you just see his length taking over. He definitely has got some God-given stuff,” wide receivers coach Marcus Davis told reporters after the first week of fall camp.

“You got a guy like Cam who’s just insane, as you guys can see out there today, he’s just a specimen,” Sam Jackson V said during the first week of fall camp.

Coleman will likely be a big part of Auburn’s offense as a freshman, becoming a staple of the first team offense during camp.

DE Amaris Williams

Williams, another freshman, was one of the biggest surprises of the defense during fall camp.

He was Auburn’s highest ranked defensive player in its 2024 recruiting class. A standout at Clinton High School in North Carolina, Williams tallied 11 sacks and 20 tackles for loss during his senior season.

Now at Auburn, he stood out despite playing in one of Auburn’s most crowded position groups.

Williams plays the traditional defensive end position, a spot that Keldric Faulk took control of as a freshman in 2023.

While Williams likely won’t play as many snaps as Faulk did last season, he’s still likely to see some playing time as a freshman.

Like Coleman, Williams earned heaps of praise from teammates and coaches throughout fall camp.

“Amaris Williams, I don’t know if you’re talking about him enough, but he’s really, really talented,” head coach Hugh Freeze said Friday.

“I’m going to say it right now, he that guy,” Jalen McLeod said early in fall camp. “He’s strong; a big meatball of power.”

WR Malcolm Simmons

Another one of the “Freeze Four”, Simmons didn’t arrive on campus until the summer but has turned heads since his arrival.

A freshman from nearby Benjamin Russell High School, Simmons was a two-sport star in football and track and field.

With his track and field background, his best attribute is his speed, something that Freeze said brings a new dynamic to Auburn’s offense.

“We tossed Malcolm a little toss sweep in the first little red zone lockout competition from the 25-yard line and he looked like an absolute jet, and he was just untouched. We didn’t have that type of weapon last year,” Freeze said at the end of the first week of fall camp.

Multiple players also praised Simmons’ effort. That showed during Auburn’s scrimmage that was open to media on Aug. 10.

Simmons made an impressive touchdown catch in the back of the endzone after the defensive back deflected the ball. Staying with the play, Simmons made the catch of the deflection while keeping a foot in bounds.

BUCK Keyron Crawford

Crawford was one of many transfers Auburn signed during the offseason. Coming to Auburn from Arkansas State, Crawford was signed to help bolster Auburn’s pass rush.

He plays the BUCK outside linebacker position, but specializes as a pass rusher. Crawford had six and a half sacks and 11 and a half tackles for loss in 2023.

The most impressive feature about Crawford’s ability is his production despite his inexperience.

Crawford didn’t start playing football until his senior season of high school, but within three years of playing the sport finds himself in a position to contribute at Auburn.

“There’s still things he’s learning. You don’t play much high school football, and then you go to college, and you play in one system there the whole time,” defensive edge coach Josh Aldridge said during fall camp. “But when you tell the sucker, ‘Hey, go get the quarterback,’ he’s pretty good at that.”

Despite Crawford’s pass rush ability, he’s still developing in other aspects of his game. With that in mind, he likely won’t be an every down player, but Aldridge didn’t mince words when asked what he can bring.

“He’s an elite pass-rusher. He’s gonna be something we haven’t had here in a while,” Aldridge said.

DL Malik Blocton

Another freshman, but one who wasn’t on as many radars going into fall camp, Blocton might be the biggest surprise of fall camp.

Despite being a freshman in Auburn’s crowded defensive line room, Blocton started with the first team during Auburn’s Aug. 10 open scrimmage.

The first team defensive line rotated heavily during the scrimmage, but Blocton being one of the first players in that rotation was worth noting.

As a recruit coming out of Pike Road High School, Blocton wasn’t as highly touted as the other freshmen mentioned. He was ranked as a three-star prospect by 247Sports and the 27th best defensive lineman in the country.

Despite being a freshman in a room full of veterans, Blocton stood out during fall camp and is expected to play a role on the defensive line this season.

“Malik, though, has done a really good job of being a sponge and has taken his technique to another level,” defensive line coach Vontrell King-Williams told reporters during fall camp. “He’s going to be a player for us and expecting big things from him.”