Auburn knew it had a hole to fill after the departure of wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith to the NFL, and Eric Singleton Jr. is doing everything he can to be that guy.
The transfer wideout from Georgia Tech co-leads the Tigers in receiving yards with Cam Coleman, each having accounted for 149. Singleton leads the team in receptions and receiving touchdowns with 13 and two, respectively.
Singleton has started to get involved in the run game as well, giving him more opportunities to make an impact. He intends to take full advantage of it.
"Coach (Hugh) Freeze just asked me, ‘Do I want the ball in my hands?’ I let him know, like of course I want the ball in my hands, especially I don’t gotta rely on the ball being in the air or especially being double teamed, I can just get the ball now and make a play, make something happen now," Singleton said."
Playing with patience has been a crucial aspect of Singleton's early success, as he is determined not to force anything and to let plays come to him.
"Of course, you just gotta take what the defense gives you," Singleton said. "Some defenses try to take away a lot of things from us. We’ve just gotta take what’s in front of us and take it play by play."
While his first three games as an SEC player have gone according to plan for him, Singleton is yet to have had the opportunity to compete in an SEC game.
That will change when the 22nd-ranked Tigers open conference play on the road against No. 11 Oklahoma on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT and ABC will carry the broadcast.
"I’m excited. You grow up hearing a lot about SEC, it’s supposed to be the best of the best, it’s where the best players go, I’m excited to be a part of that," Singleton said.