As deep as Auburn football’s wide receiver room is right now, Sophomore Perry Thompson needed a day like Saturday to show coaches he’s ready to take that next step.

Coming to the Plains as a 5-star recruit in the 2024 recruiting class, Thompson saw limited playing time on the field last season. In four games, Thompson finished with five receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown.

With a year under his belt, Thompson started his sophomore campaign with a stellar showing in Auburn’s A-Day spring practice.

During the 7-on-7 skeleton drills, Thompson made two diving catches for touchdowns from Deuce Knight and John Colvin. In the 1-on-1 session, he added another score from a back shoulder fade in the corner of the endzone.

 Auburn coach Hugh Freeze spoke highly of Thompson after Saturday’s practice. He compared his colligate journey to a couple of NFL talents he’s coached throughout his career.

“Perry’s a hard one to read. And we’ve had several talks, and I’ve talked to him about, you know, Van Jefferson redshirted, and DK Metcalf redshirted,” Freeze said Saturday. “Now, part of his was due to an injury.”

“There’s a process to this for most people in this league and, man, just be patient with the process. And I think he’s starting to see the success that comes with that. And as long as he continues to be consistent in his efforts, he’s talented enough to be a real good weapon for us. And I think you saw that today in some of the contested catches he made in the Skelly period.”

Jerry Humphrey III covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Jerryhump3 or email him at [email protected].