No. 1 transfer portal player strongly linked to major SEC football programs

A former Auburn wide receiver shot to the top of the transfer portal rankings and two notable SEC football rivals are in the running to sign him.

Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Not long after it was reported Cam Coleman was planning to enter the college football transfer portal, the Auburn wide receiver shot up the rankings to emerge as the No. 1 overall player in the 2026 transfer class.

Now the race is on for schools to start the bidding for the former five-star wide receiver, and two marquee SEC programs appear to be at the front of the line early on.

SEC blue bloods to watch

CBS Sports analyst Brandon Marcello outlined a pair of SEC brands who are expected to get into the Cam Coleman business right away.

“Coleman, a former five-star receiver out of high school, he’s got some strong connections at Texas A&M with that staff there. He was a finalist. Also among the finalists out of high school? LSU,” Marcello said. 

.@bmarcello names two possible landing spots for Auburn WR Cam Coleman after entering the transfer portal:

Texas A&M and LSU pic.twitter.com/wiRDJsCYEf

— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) December 29, 2025

“Of course, LSU’s staff is different now. Lane Kiffin is there. So there’s gonna be a lot of big time programs that are gonna be interested in him. He’s going to catch a pretty penny no matter what.”

Texas A&M is coming off its first appearance in the College Football Playoff and expected to retain quarterback Marcel Reed, but needs new inputs on offense and particularly at wide receiver with KC Concepcion heading to the NFL Draft.

Kiffin and LSU are also in the market for a game-breaking piece at wide receiver as they look to open things up and get more aggressive on that side of the ball.

Both schools do have a prior relationship with Coleman, as the highly-coveted recruit was considering each SEC powerhouse prior to his commitment to Auburn.

Coleman had his ups and downs

The wide receiver has 84 grabs for 1,215 yards and 12 touchdowns over the last two seasons, illustrating his five-star potential despite playing in an Auburn offense that struggled moving the ball vertically, but he had his questionable moments, too.

“Cam Coleman had some struggles this year. He had a lot of dropped passes,” Marcello said. 

“And let’s not forget the last time we saw him on the field, he fumbled the ball away when Auburn was trying to beat Alabama with 33 seconds remaining in that game.”

Still, the potential outweighs any downside. 

“Having said that, the upside’s tremendous, he’s got a lot of talent, he’s gonna get a lot of attention, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up hopping up in the SEC again because of all those connections.” Marcello noted.

Coleman’s exit not a surprise

While some observers may have been shocked to learn that Coleman elected to leave the Auburn program after it brought on Alex Golesh as head coach, those on the inside weren’t.

“This rumor’s been going around for the better part of the last half season, that he was going to enter the portal probably no matter what,” Marcello said.

“Though I thought Alex Golesh had an opportunity to keep him, because his offense is so conducive for receivers putting up big yardage and wanting to stay there.” 

Where we think he could land

College Football HQ analyst Matt De Lima projected the five most likely destinations for Coleman out of the portal, and four of them reside in the SEC.

And they include Texas A&M and LSU, too.

“The Aggies are consistently in the market for elite perimeter talent to elevate their offense,” De Lima said.

“Bringing in a player who was once the crown jewel of their recruiting class would be a massive statement for Elko and his staff as they look to solidify their roster for the 2026 season.”

LSU is also looking for a blue-chip addition from the portal to give its new head coach an early win.

“Head coach Lane Kiffin would certainly love to earn a splash commitment via the portal,” De Lima added.

“The system in Baton Rouge thrives on vertical threats who can dominate physically, which plays directly to Coleman’s strengths.”