Major SEC Program Under Immense Pressure After Landing No. 1 Transfer Portal Player

An SEC program is under significant pressure following its acquisition of the No. 1 transfer portal player in the 2026 cycle.

Auburn wide receiver Cam Coleman (8) receives a pass to pull in a touchdown past Vanderbilt cornerback Martel Hight (4) | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The final ounces of movement from the NCAA transfer portal in college football stopped near the end of January.

Thousands of players from every level of college football decided to enter the portal to find new homes in 2026. However, fewer than 10 were considered five-star prospects in the 2026 cycle. One of these five stars in the cycle was former Auburn wide receiver Cam Coleman, who transferred to Texas with two seasons of eligibility remaining.

The 6-foot-3, 201-pounder was a five-star prospect in Auburn's 2024 signing class. Coleman caught 37 passes for 598 yards and eight touchdowns in his freshman season, going over 100 receiving yards in the Tigers' wins over ULM and Texas A&M. He was named to the SEC All-Freshman team at the conclusion of the 2024 regular season.

Coleman was Auburn's leading wide receiver in 2025. He caught 56 passes for 708 yards and five touchdowns in his final season with the Tigers, passing the 100-yard mark against Missouri and Vanderbilt. He was among a group of five wide receivers who entered the portal when Auburn named Alex Golesh its next head coach.

Auburn Tigers wide receiver Cam Coleman (8) celebrates his touchdown as Auburn Tigers take on South Alabama Jaguars at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The recruiting services forecasted him to serve as an immediate asset for the program that landed him. Antonio Morales of The Athletic compiled a list of the 2026 transfer portal classes with the most pressure to succeed. A prominent entry on his list was Texas, citing Coleman and a handful of other marquee acquisitions.

"Former Auburn receiver Cam Coleman was one of the best players available in the portal, and his arrival gives Manning a true No. 1 threat that was missing last fall," Morales wrote.

"After some attrition at running back, the Longhorns bolstered the position with Raleek Brown, who rushed for 1,141 yards last season at Arizona State, and Hollywood Smothers, who rushed for 939 yards at NC State. There were also the high-profile additions of Wake Forest offensive lineman Melvin Siani and Pitt linebacker Rasheem Biles."

Following its victory at eventual SEC champion Alabama and subsequent College Football Playoff appearance, Texas was expected to immediately contend for the SEC upon its entry in 2024. The Longhorns have only lost four SEC games since joining the league, three of which are to Georgia.

However, the Longhorns have been the beneficiaries of friendly scheduling draws in their two seasons as SEC members. Five of the Longhorns' eight SEC games in 2024 were against teams that finished the regular season with six or fewer wins, and one of the other three games was against a Florida team starting a third-string quarterback. The schedule toughened up some in 2025, but the Longhorns still played four SEC teams that won five or fewer games.

The SEC's new nine-game scheduling model has toughened the path to the College Football Playoff for everyone. Going into 2026, Texas will face six 2025 postseason participants in SEC play, five of which it will play away from the friendly confines of Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

Auburn Tigers wide receiver Cam Coleman (8) catches a touchdown pass as Auburn takes on Mercer at Jordan-Hare Stadium | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images