Auburn football added an influx of talent to its wide receiver room this season with a mix of blue chip freshmen and experienced transfers.

While the ceiling is high, it will be a brand new dynamic between the seven newcomers and quarterback Payton Thorne.

When asked what has helped the group build chemistry over the offseason, Thorne’s answer was simple.

“Throw,” he said.

Those throwing sessions have been a way for the group to get reps since not all of the new receivers were there during spring.

“Spring practice, obviously, helped for the ones that were there. But then you move in Dre [Lambert-Smith] and Perry [Thompson] and Malcolm [Simmons], who have the best shot at playing, outside of the ones who were there in the spring. It would be hard to say that chemistry is where it needs to be right now ,” Hugh Freeze said at SEC Media Days at the Omni Hotel in Dallas.

Working out and throwing together has been the most important factor in building on-field chemistry, according to Thorne, but they’ve also put an emphasis on spending time off the field.

“We’ve also just been hanging out, it’s been great to just to get to know each other,” Thorne said. “We’re at a good spot right now and we’re gonna continue that trajectory as we get into camp.

“Cam is a pretty good bowler, KeAndre is always doing something and then Sam [Jackson V] likes to play the game. He’s always in his room yelling at somebody TV through the TV,” Thorne said.

Thorne mentioned that although he hasn’t played yet, he plans to take on Jackson in the new EA Sports College Football 25.

Auburn’s passing offense ranked last in the SEC during the 2023 season, running what was at times a two-quarterback system. Thorne will have the full reins at quarterback this season in addition to having an influx of talented pass catchers to work with.

Auburn added a number of talented receivers to the room, highlighted by blue-chip freshmen Coleman and Thompson. It also added experienced wide receiver transfers in Lambert-Smith and Robert Lewis along with Jackson, a former Cal quarterback turned wide receiver.

Freeze gave high praise to Lambert-Smith when talking about what he’s seen from the new receivers.

“There’s no doubt that he feels really good about Dre. The workouts I see, I can see why,” Freeze said.

Lambert-Smith caught 53 passes for 673 yards and four touchdowns at Penn State in 2023. He entered the transfer portal on April 15 and committed to Auburn nine days later.

The trio of transfer receivers and four incoming freshmen help replace the six wide receivers Auburn lost to the transfer portal last season.