Auburn star WR will 'try and play' against Baylor in season opener
As the Baylor Bears and Auburn Tigers prepare for an epic week one showdown on Friday night, one of Auburn's best receivers is fighting to get healthy for the game.
This offseason, Auburn brought in one of the top wide receivers in the portal, former Georgia Tech wideout Eric Singleton. He's projected to be one of the Tigers' most productive wideouts in 2025, but he's battling a deep thigh bruise and may not be 100% for Friday's game, though there is some optimism.
"I think he's going to play," said Auburn Head Coach Hugh Freeze in his weekly teleconference. "He's not 100 percent, but he's getting better every day. Hopefully, with more treatment today and all through the day on Friday, he'll be close to full speed. That's our hope. He's not quite there yet, but he's healthy enough to try and play."
Singleton was On3's top-rated wideout in the transfer portal this offseason. He had interest from a slew of schools, but decided to commit to Auburn. He and Cam Coleman will form the best 1-2 punch in the country and will give Baylor's defensive backs a tough time. Even if Singleton isn't 100%, he's still going to be hard to stop.
Singleton spent two seasons with Georgia Tech before transferring to Auburn. As a freshman, he caught 48 passes for 714 yards and six touchdowns before following that up with a 56-catch, 754-yard and three-touchdown sophomore campaign. The 5-foot-10, 180-pound speedster was Haynes King's favorite target last year, and now he'll be one of Jackson Arnold's favorite receivers.
Baylor's defensive backs are going to have a long night. If Singleton plays, which it sounds like he will, even if he's not 100 percent, he's going to be a tough matchup. The Bears are going to have to figure out who they want to give the most attention two between him and Coleman, but whoever they don't chose will have the benefit of single coverage on most plays.
Auburn's receivers vs Baylor's defensive backs will be one of the biggest keys to this game. If Coleman and Singleton have their way, Baylor doesn't stand a chance. But if the Bears can slow down Auburn's passing attack, it's advantage Baylor.
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Luke is a writer for the Baylor Bears On SI. He's an LSU graduate and previously covered the Tigers for two years. He also covers the New Orleans Saints and Formula 1. Luke's passion for sports and storytelling led him to become a sports writer.