Auburn football WR Perry Thompson plans to enter transfer portal

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AUBURN — Sophomore wide receiver Perry Thompson became the first player to announce he wouldn’t be sticking on Alex Golesh‘s first Auburn football roster on Friday, Dec. 5, stating his plans to enter the transfer portal ahead of the 2026 season.

A trio of Auburn defenders — cornerback Raion Strader, defensive lineman Antonio Coleman and linebacker Caleb Wheatland — are reportedly doing the same, though they’ve yet to personally announce those plans.

Thompson came to Auburn as a member of the “Freeze Four,” the quartet of blue-chip wide receivers, including Cam Coleman and Malcolm Simmons, that Hugh Freeze landed in his first signing class on the Plains.

Thompson was the second-highest-rated player in that class, according to 247Sports’ composite ratings, behind only Coleman, though he wasn’t utilized like a former top-50 prospect in the nation, playing just 273 passing snaps in two seasons, according to Pro Football Focus.

By comparison, Coleman played 781 passing snaps.

Thompson’s freshman season was quiet. He caught five passes for 126 yards and one touchdown in 44 passing snaps, but he caught 17 passes for 154 yards this fall.

Thompson’s planned exit marks the first departure from a position group that could be incredibly valuable to Golesh in Year 1. Coleman, Simmons, Bryce Cain, Duke Smith and Sam Turner are among the former blue-chip signees remaining, and both Eric Singleton Jr. and Horatio Fields are expected to have eligibility in 2026.

Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at acole@gannett.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter.To support Adam’s work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football WR Perry Thompson plans to enter transfer portal

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