5 Auburn Tigers rookies to watch who aren’t named Cam Coleman

The Auburn Tigers open the 2024 season on Saturday against Alabama A&M.

The Tigers are looking to build on the improvements they made last season in Hugh Freeze’s first season as head coach of the program.

Freeze and his team brought in an intriguing group of newcomers, both through the transfer portal and through the 2024 recruiting class that was ranked No. 10 247Sports.

Auburn has completely overhauled its wide receiver and offensive line units, adding depth at positions across the board. Freshman phenom Cam Coleman has rightfully made most of the headlines since signing with Auburn and adding gasoline to the fire with his A-Day performance. Fellow freshmen receivers Perry Thompson and Malcolm Simmons have also gotten a lot of ink over the past six months.

However, they won’t be the only ones making their Auburn debuts on Saturday, and here are five of them:other Auburn Tigers to watch on Saturday against Alabama A&M.

KeAndre Lambert-SmithWR, Senior, Transfer

Lambert-Smith, a wide receiver who played four seasons at Penn State, is a top candidate to lead the Tigers in receiving this season. Lambert-Smith is coming off a 2023 campaign in which he caught 53 passes for 673 yards and four touchdowns.

He was Auburn’s third-highest rated recruit and was ranked 13th among wide receivers in the portal.

Percy LewisOL, Senior, Transfer

Lewis, a 6-foot-1, 350-pound offensive lineman, played the past two seasons at Mississippi State, where he appeared in 25 games and started eight times. Lewis is expected to rotate between left tackle and left guard.

Lewis was the No. 8 offensive tackle in the transfer portal. Auburn’s offensive line struggled last season, and Lewis was brought in as an immediate, short-term solution.

Malik BlokDL, Freshmen

Blocton, a 6-foot-3, 291-pound defensive lineman, is the first of three true freshmen on this list. The loss of Marcus Harris, who is Blocton’s brother, to the NFL Draft leaves a hole in the interior of Auburn’s defensive line and Blocton’s massive frame allows him to help fill that void.

As a recruit, Blocton was a 4-star prospect by Rivals. At 6-foot-3 and 285 pounds, he could make an early impact.