Is the 2026 college football season setting the stage for a rivalry between two of the most dynamic players in the country?
No, we’re not talking about Arch Manning vs. Dante Moore. We’re talking about new Texas Longhorns wide receiver Cam Coleman and his quest to steal the spotlight from Ohio State star Jeremiah Smith.
In what is shaping up to be a deep and potentially special 2027 NFL Draft class, all eyes won’t be on the top quarterback prospects. The wide receiver class could be just as intriguing, and in this edition of 2027 NFL Draft Prospect Watch, the spotlight turns to Coleman.
Coleman, who hasn’t played a game yet with the Longhorns, is already raising eyebrows as a game-changing outside threat who should make Manning’s life much easier throughout the season.
With the elite talent and explosiveness Coleman brings to the offense, could the Manning-Coleman connection carry Texas to a national championship? If so, Julian Sayin and Smith could be one of the biggest roadblocks standing in the way.
That’s what makes the September 12 showdown between Texas and Ohio State a must-watch game. It will also give NFL scouts an early glimpse at potential top-10 talent, including Coleman, a former five-star recruit coming off a career year at Auburn.
Cam Coleman has the talent to challenge Jeremiah Smith
At 6-foot-3, 204 pounds, Coleman uses his length and catch radius to make acrobatic catches over defenders, while possessing the vertical speed to get behind defenses.
As good as he was at Auburn, his ceiling could be even higher at Texas catching passes from the elite arm talent of Manning, who has already praised the athleticism of his new wide receiver.
“He’s a really good athlete, a freak athlete,” Manning said of Coleman, via the Associated Press. “But he’s also a really good person and a very hard worker.”
That hard work will be important as Coleman looks to improve his game in a few key areas.
While he can stretch defenses vertically with his speed, Coleman still needs to polish his route running in the intermediate passing game and develop a greater variety of releases off the line of scrimmage.
That is where Jeremiah Smith holds the edge in the 2027 NFL Draft WR race entering the season.
But if Coleman becomes the threat he has the potential to be in the Longhorns offense, NFL teams searching the 2027 draft for a franchise-caliber receiver will be watching closely.
Julio Jones comparison raises Cam Coleman’s NFL Draft ceiling
Coleman has already drawn comparisons to former NFL star Julio Jones. Those comparisons haven't just come from scouts and draft analysts, either. His new head coach, Steve Sarkisian, coached Jones at Alabama and sees some of the same qualities in Coleman.
In explaining the comparison, Sarkisian made it clear he knows he has a special talent.
“Julio was similar that way, that ability to engage those high-point balls the way that he does, and still be a vertical threat,” Sarkisian said. “Cam can still run. He’s not just a possession guy. He can run, and Julio was that way.”
That is quite a comparison for a receiver who already possesses the size, athleticism and big-play ability NFL teams covet.
Where could Cam Coleman land in the 2027 NFL Draft?
Speaking of Jones, some of our earlier 2027 NFL Draft projections have connected Coleman with the Atlanta Falcons, a team that could be looking for a WR2 to complement Drake London.
Another team linked to the Texas wide receiver is the Las Vegas Raiders, who could be searching for an alpha receiver to build around top pick Fernando Mendoza.
There is a long way to go before Coleman hears his name called in the 2027 NFL Draft, but the opportunity is there for him to make a serious run at Smith for WR1.
It starts with becoming Manning’s go-to weapon at Texas. If Coleman takes his game to another level and the Longhorns make a run at a national championship, the sky is the limit for the preseason All-American.
And if he wants to make an early statement in the race with Smith, he’ll have the perfect opportunity on September 12.
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