Auburn Tigers Set to Lose Former 5-Star WR to Transfer Portal

The Auburn Tigers are set to lose a piece piece of their passing game to the portal

The Auburn Tigers will lose wide receiver Perry Thompson | John Reed-Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers have lost their fourth player to the transfer portal in just over 24 hours. Sophomore wide receiver Perry Thompson is on his way out of the Plains, Hayes Fawcett reported on X.

BREAKING: Auburn WR Perry Thompson plans to enter the @TransferPortal, he tells @On3Sports⁰⁰The 6’3 213 WR was ranked as a Top 50 Recruit in the 2024 Class⁰⁰He’ll have 2 years of eligibility remaininghttps://t.co/RlUbB6EMhS pic.twitter.com/tXuIiQoyBz

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 6, 2025

Thompson becomes the fourth transfer following the conclusion of a disappointing 2025 season after linebacker Caleb Wheatland, cornerback Raion Strader and defensive lineman Antonio Coleman hit the portal on Thursday.

Thompson was once a part of the “Freeze Four,” a top group of receivers, including top Auburn receiver Cam Coleman, who committed to Auburn as part of its 2024 class. As such, he came into Auburn with high expectations, but saw the field at a very limited capacity.

Thompson recorded five receptions for 126 yards and a touchdown in 2024, his freshman year, and jumped to 17 receptions for 154 yards in his sophomore campaign. 

It’s understandable for Thompson to want to play somewhere else, as Auburn already boasts top receiver talent in players like Cam Coleman, Eric Singleton, Jr., and Malcolm Simmons. Of course, it’s hard to compete against such top talent, and Thompson is likely looking to go somewhere that’ll let him see significant time on the field.

Coleman posted 57 receptions for 725 yards and five touchdowns for the Tigers in 2025, and he’s the same age as Thompson. Eric Singleton Jr., who’s now down to his final year of eligibility, also put together an impressive stat line of 58 catches for 534 yards and three touchdowns.

If new Auburn head coach Alex Golesh can hang on to Coleman and Singleton, his receiver room could be more dominant than ever, as Coleman and Singleton continue to develop into NFL-caliber talent.

Golesh already has a receiver in the 2026 class on his way to potentially fill what was once Thompson’s role, as he flipped DeShawn Spencer from Duke and Brian Williams from Alabama. On the flip side, he lost a five-star receiver to Ole Miss.

All things considered, this isn’t a massive loss for the Tigers as it stands, but could prove to be catastrophic if Golesh isn’t able to hang onto top talent in the receiving core. 

With the new rules set by the NCAA a couple of months ago, the transfer portal will open on Jan. 2, 2026, and close on Jan. 16, 2026. The NCAA also eliminated the spring portal window, meaning there’s only one period for players to enter this offseason.