No. 1 Transfer Named Among College Football’s Most ‘Lethal’ Playmakers in 2026

No other wide receiver, and indeed no other single player, was more highly considered in what became an active and consequential 2026 college football transfer portal class than Cam Coleman.

Coleman swapped Auburn for Texas this offseason, was immediately ranked as the best wide receiver in the cycle, and then elevated to the No. 1 position nationally regardless of position.

Now heading into the 2026 season and paired up with quarterback Arch Manning, the new Longhorns wide receiver has been featured on a list of the most lethal playmakers in the country, according to a new CBS Sports projection.

A lethal playmaker in 2026

“A long strider with an expansive catch radius and strong hands, Coleman projects as a high impact red zone target for the Longhorns. Few receivers are better in jump ball situations,” according to the analysis.

That was despite Coleman playing in an Auburn offense that famously failed to live up to its lofty expectations last fall, and helped the program force a regime change at head coach.

Auburn ranked just 99th nationally throwing the football a year ago with under 198 air yards per game, while his new team, the Longhorns, was a more respectable 44th in FBS at 251 yards.

Now, he joins an offense not only led by Manning, who saw notable improvement in the second half of his 2025 season, but also still features top receiver Ryan Wingo, who led the Longhorns with 834 receiving yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore.

That combination has already been noted as the No. 1 overall wide receiver room in college football heading into the 2026 season.

Coleman can be a star

Coleman was to be the featured target in an Auburn offense that was advertised back in the preseason as one of the SEC’s best at throwing the ball.

While that overall production didn’t transpire for the team, Coleman still led the roster with 708 receiving yards and five touchdowns off 56 grabs.

He had 37 receptions for 598 yards and eight touchdowns as a true freshman in the 2024 season after signing with Auburn as the No. 1 overall wide receiver and a consensus five-star prospect, according to an industry weighted average of the national recruiting services.

Texas was in the market for a go-to receiver for Manning after losing both DeAndre Moore, Jr. and Parker Livingstone to the transfer portal.

Now the Longhorns have not only one of the more promising offensive weapons in college football, but also one of the most lethal.

(CBS)