With the transfer portal officially open and players deciding to find greener pastures for their careers, Auburn and head coach Hugh Freeze have a lot of work to do to ensure that the young core that saw so much playing time this season returns to the Plains for 2025.

With that said, here are five players (plus a few other nominees) that will make an impact in Freeze's third season in charge of the Tigers.

1. Cam Coleman - The wide receiver seemed to have something click near the end of the season, catching 22 passes for 306 yards and six touchdowns in the final three games, two of those against ranked Texas A&M and Alabama. With KeAndre Lambert-Smith gone, it will be up to Coleman to be the good-to guy for whoever the quarterback is next season.

2. Keldric Faulk - After seeing action in 2023 as a freshman, the Highland Home, Ala., native took a step up in 2024, recording 45 total tackles, along with 11 tackles for a loss, seven sacks, seven quarterback hurries, a fumble forced and a pass broken up. Another year in a college strength and conditioning program will make him scary for opponents in 2025.

Faulk is aware of how critical his fellow young teammates are to the Tigers' success in 2025.

"We've got so many young guys on the team that were trying to figure out their roles," said Faulk. "Older guys were helping them, helping them find out their roles on the team. But those younger guys grew up and found out what college football was like.

"Next year, we have a lot of experience coming back. I can't wait for that, can't wait to practice."

3. Connor Lew - The anchor of the offensive line at center, Lew will be counted on to do that again as a junior next season. The only question? What will the Auburn coaching staff surround him with? He's as solid as they come.

4. Demarcus Riddick - Need a guy to spy on a mobile quarterback and chase him down? That's Riddick. The Clanton, Ala., native was excellent in that role even as a true freshman, and it's no surprise it came against the dual-threat QBs that Auburn often faced. He made life difficult for Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia and Oklahoma's Michael Hawkins, Jr. Riddick is a star in the making in Durkin's defense.

5. Kaleb Harris - Another true freshman who played significant snaps, Harris was arguably the standout of the youngsters that filled Auburn's secondary. He was definitely the most consistent of the bunch and just seemed to get better as the season went along. In the season finale against Alabama, Harris recorded nine total tackles, with seven of those being solo.

Honorable mention: Kayin Lee, Jeremiah Cobb, Malik Blocton, Perry Thompson, Jay Crawford, DeAndre Carter,

(Correction: I someone forgot about Malcolm Simmons Jr., who will be a key part of the Tigers’ offense. - BS)