Cam Coleman would turn these transfer destinations into title contenders overnight

While most of the college football world has its sights set on the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, which kick off in just a couple days' time with Miami and Ohio State on New Year's Eve, the sport's offseason waits for no one. The transfer portal opens on Friday, Jan. 2, after all, and this year is shaping up to be a doozy. Big-name QBs like Sam Leavitt, DJ Lagway and Brendan Sorsby have already thrown their names into the ring, and now one of the most talented players in the entire country is on the move: On Monday afternoon, Auburn WR Cam Coleman announced his intention to enter the portal.

It's a huge blow to new Tigers coach Alex Golesh, but a potentially massive break for pretty much every other team looking to overhaul their offense this winter. Coleman's numbers may not look like all that much right now — 93 catches for 1,306 yards and 13 TDs across two college seasons — but make no mistake: He's a truly electric talent, a top-five recruit out of high school capable of doing stuff like this on a regular basis.

Alabama

We'll start with the juiciest possibility first. The Tide were among the finalists for the Phenix, Ala., native out of high school, and while Nick Saban couldn't close the deal, it's fair to wonder how much his uncertain future — he'd retire just weeks after Coleman signed his LOI with Auburn — and the presence of fellow top WR recruit Ryan Williams affected that decision.

Now, Bama is on sturdier ground (at least for now) under Kalen DeBoer, and Williams has been bizarrely phased out of the passing game this season. Lotzeir Brooks is a keeper, but with Germie Bernard and potentially Isaiah Horton moving on, there's plenty of room on this depth chart. Might DeBoer make a run at Coleman this time around? His track record at the position speaks for itself, although there are QB questions at Ty Simpson likely heads for the NFL Draft.

Texas A&M

The Aggies made major hay with the 1-2 punch of KC Concepcion and Mario Craver at wideout this season, but Concepcion is now off to the pros without a natural replacement behind him on the depth chart. Coleman would be a major addition at a major position of need this offseason, and it's worth noting that he was originally committed to A&M before his late flip to Auburn. Plus, Holmon Wiggins, the man who recruited Coleman while a position coach at Alabama, is now the new offensive coordinator in College Station following the departure of Collin Klein.

The stars would seem to be aligning, and with Marcel Reed back in the saddle at quarterback and Mike Elko reloading on defense, the Aggies would have all the pieces in place for another Playoff run — and maybe Coleman could finally get them over the hump and into the SEC title game.

Texas

You just know that, coming off a 9-3 regular season — and with only one year left with Arch Manning under center — Texas is going to be as aggressive as any buyer in the portal this winter. Ryan Wingo is a star for the Horns, but Steve Sarkisian struggled to find a reliable weapon to put alongside him, with Parker Livingstone, Emmett Mosley and slot man DeAndre Moore all failing to turn their potential into weekly consistency.

Coleman would be a serious statement, a legitimate alpha who would give Manning someone to fall back on when plays break down — as they too often did for Texas this year — while allowing Mingo to feast in a WR2 role he might be a bit better suited for. There are other questions for the Horns to answer this offseason, especially on the offensive line, but the addition of Coleman would immediately bump them toward the front of the line for an SEC title in 2026. And you know Texas will always find the money.

LSU

The script just writes itself, doesn't it? Lane Kiffin is already on the prowl at LSU, one of the sport's most nimble transfer portal operators now armed with all the money a bunch of very excitable and optimistic boosters can get their hands on. Ole Miss star QB Trinidad Chambliss feels like a near-lock to eventually follow his old coach to Baton Rouge, but he'll need someone to throw to with the Tigers set to lose Aaron Anderson, Barion Brown, Zavion Thomas and Chris Hilton to the NFL.

Freakish tight end Trey'Dez Green is a great start, but wide receiver might be the single biggest need for Kiffin right now. And Coleman will almost certainly be the top player available at the position. Kiffin has a long track record of turning previously unheralded receivers into stars in Oxford, from Elijah Moore to Dontario Drummond to Jonathan Mingo to Tre Harris; imagine what he could do with someone of Coleman's raw talent?

Texas Tech

Thanks to its newfound largesse, Texas Tech gets dropped into every one of these lists. But there's good reason to do it again here: The Red Raiders might wind up losing both of their top WR targets in Reggie Virgil and Caleb Douglas to the pros, and they've already been connected to other portal targets like Florida's Eugene Wilson.

The need is there, the money is there and really, why wouldn't Coleman consider a move to Lubbock? This is an extremely pass-friendly offense under Mack Leftwich, with a stable QB situation between Will Hammond and whoever might try to beat him out from the portal, and the path to the Playoff is clear as the program sits atop the Big 12. Coleman could put up some truly video-game numbers and play games on the biggest of stages for NFL scouts.

USC

Of course, few active head coaches have as impressive a track record of WR production as Lincoln Riley: Look no further than the 2025 season, when Makai Lemon put up a 79/1,156/11 line for the Trojans. Lemon's about to parlay that performance into an NFL Draft pick, meaning that USC is now on the prowl for its next No. 1 wideout.

It's hard to imagine a better fit than Coleman, who's the total package at receiver. With Jayden Maiava already confirming his return for the 2026 season, the Trojans check just about every box: Warm weather, a storied program, a WR-friendly offense and an experienced quarterback throwing him the ball. Riley still has to figure out the defense, especially with former DC D'Anton Lynn now off to Penn State, but this offense could be truly lethal next season with Coleman in the fold. And getting both Ohio State and Oregon at the Coliseum could set the Trojans up for their long-awaited Playoff run.