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LEAD STORY: Texas Needs More Than 'Fine' From Cam Coleman
Texas is spending its bye week trying to get more out of its most expensive offseason addition. The Longhorns' head coach said Monday that junior wide receiver Cam Coleman is "doing fine." That is a modest assessment for a 6-foot-3, 204-pound Auburn transfer who chose Texas over Alabama, Texas A&M and Texas Tech in a deal reported at $4 million. Through four games, Coleman has 12 catches for 208 yards and four touchdowns. He leads Texas in receiving touchdowns but ranks second in receiving yards, behind junior Ryan Wingo's 239. He is tied for second in receptions with junior Emmett Mosley V. All four of his touchdowns came against Texas State and UTSA. In the wins over Ohio State and Tennessee, he had a combined five catches for 79 yards and did not score.
The Tennessee game showed the problem clearly. Coleman's only catch in Knoxville was a 30-yard reception early in the third quarter, and he bruised his tailbone on the play. Earlier, on a second-quarter shot play from near midfield, Arch Manning stared down Coleman on a post route. That let the safety undercut the throw, and Tennessee's Kayin Lee came away with the interception. Wingo picked up the slack with six catches for 74 yards on six targets. Against Ohio State, a slightly overthrown ball to Coleman on the fifth play of the game turned into a Jaylen McClain interception. The Manning-Coleman connection has had flashes, including a high-pointed touchdown against Texas State and a jump-ball score against UTSA. Too often, though, the timing has been slightly off. Manning missed offseason work while recovering from ankle surgery, and that may help explain it.
The film does have some good news for Coleman. He has not been credited with a drop on 20 targets and has won four of eight contested catches. What's missing is production after the catch. He has forced one missed tackle and gained 28 yards after the catch, and he has no receptions on screens. He has only two catches on five targets thrown between the line of scrimmage and 10 yards downfield. Getting him the ball short and on the move is an obvious place to start. That matters even more against blitz-heavy defenses like Tennessee's. "We've got to be creative enough, and we've got to allow him to do the things that he does really well as we continue to navigate our way through the season," the Texas head coach said. The conference schedule will show whether that creativity arrives in time.
QUICK HITS
- LSU gymnastics sends three signees to Worlds: Three future LSU gymnasts made their national teams for the 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, which run Oct. 17–25. Gymnastics Canada named Lia Redick to its five-woman squad. USA Gymnastics selected Hezly Rivera and Reese Esponda for its main team after Thursday's Worlds Selection Team Camp. Fellow future Tiger Tatum Drusch also took part in the camp.
- Ole Miss women's tennis sets fall slate: The Rebels announced a 13-event fall schedule with stops across the country as they prepare for the 2027 dual-match season.
- Lady Vols softball back at home Friday: Tennessee hosts Carson-Newman in a 10-inning exhibition at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium in Week 2 of fall ball.
- Alabama women's golf heads to Fayetteville: The Crimson Tide continue their 2026 fall campaign at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational.
- Artiles keeps collecting honors: Gigi Artiles has already been named SEC Freshman of the Week twice this season.
PORTAL WATCH
There was no transfer portal activity involving SEC programs in the last 12 hours. The Coleman storyline shows why the portal still dominates the conversation, though. Big portal investments come with big expectations, and four games into the season Texas is still waiting on the full return from one of the highest-profile moves of the offseason.
RECRUITING BUZZ
No new commitments came in during this window. The biggest recruiting news of the evening came from gymnastics, where LSU's incoming class will have strong representation on the world stage later this month. Three future Tigers made national teams for Canada and the United States.
GAMES TO WATCH
No SEC games are scheduled tonight. Friday brings a busy slate of Olympic sports:
- Soccer: One SEC side goes on the road to face Florida, and another closes a road swing at Arkansas.
- Softball: Carson-Newman at Tennessee, a 10-inning fall exhibition.
- Women's golf: Alabama at the Blessings Collegiate Invitational in Fayetteville.
- Men's tennis: Alabama competes in the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic.
Texas uses its bye week to recalibrate before conference play resumes. The Longhorns' next game will show whether the extra time fixed the Manning-Coleman timing.
