Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne put it perfectly in saying Auburn’s 5-star wide receiver signee Cam Coleman was a “huge name around here.”

Since Coleman — who ranked as the second-best wide receiver in the 2024 recruiting class — flipped his commitment from Texas A&M to Auburn on Dec. 1, he’s been one of the hottest topics on The Plains — and perhaps rightfully so.

During Auburn’s first spring practice on Tuesday afternoon, Coleman was hard to miss as his 6-foot-3, 190-pound frame had him towering over other receivers on the field. At that height, Coleman ties junior Camden Brown as the tallest wide receivers on the Tigers’ roster.

But adding to Coleman’s impressive frame is his ability to use it.

Thorne says Coleman can “jump out the gym” and runs a 4.4 40-yard dash.

“Maybe less than that when he gets to the combine in a couple years,” Thorne adds.

The addition of Coleman is one Auburn desperately needed as the Tigers’ wide receiver play was often a topic of criticism as their passing offense limped along to one of the worst finishes in FBS as it ranked 121st in passing offense — leaving just nine teams in the nation with a worse showing.

And Freeze maintained during the offseason that Auburn’s passing struggles could be remedied by inserting more talented pieces around his quarterbacks.

“I believe that if we get the right pieces around (Payton Thorne) and Holden (Geriner) and Hank (Brown), I think our quarterback room is going to be fine next year,” Freeze said in December. “That is my belief. It’s what drives me to get the right pieces around them.”

Now, for the most part, those pieces are here as Coleman highlights a historic signing class of receivers that also features 5-star Perry Thompson and 4-stars Bryce Cain and Malcolm Simmons. Thompson and Simmons, however, aren’t on campus just yet as they didn’t enroll early.

But already, less than one week into spring camp, Freeze has been able to see how a guy like Coleman could alter Auburn’s offense.

“Cam Coleman just makes us look different,” Freeze said Thursday. “Can’t tell you how excited I am about him… When you watch him run around out there, we’ve improved ourselves. He’s naturally gifted.”

That said, at the end of the day, the gem of Auburn’s 2024 recruiting class is just that — a member of the 2024 recruiting class, meaning he’s about as green as they come and is still adjusting to college football.

“As a true freshman early enrollee it’s tough, it doesn’t matter how good you are, it’s going to be tough early,” Thorne said. “He’s just getting his feet wet and he’s going to keep getting better every practice he learns.”

Thorne went on to say learning the playbook is the biggest component to Coleman’s transition. And considering the Tigers brought in a new offensive coordinator in Derrick Nix during the offseason, Coleman won’t be the only one learning a new system.

Step two is adjusting to the speed of the game, Thorne says.

“You’re not going to play a corner that runs over (a) 4.55 or so, especially in this league. Most of these guys are going to be running 4.4 (or) 4.3, so you have to learn and become a route technician,” Thorne said. “You’re not going to be able to just run past people like you did in high school.”

And finally, understanding the intricacies of Auburn’s offense and how to play off certain defensive coverages is another adjustment Thorne says Coleman will have to make.

But that all comes with time — something Coleman hasn’t had much of considering spring ball is just getting underway.

“I don’t want to put too much expectations on him as a freshman because he is just a freshman,” Freeze said of Coleman. “I expect him to play as a freshman. How well is he going to do as a freshman? We’ve had one practice, so it’s really hard to say.

“But boy, he’s talented and smooth and tracks the ball as well as any that I’ve seen.”