Auburn Football News: Sammie Coates Injury Update, Status Against Kansas State?

In this Auburn football news and rumors update, Thursday night's huge matchup between the #5 Auburn Tigers and #20 Kansas State Wildcats will provide a undeniable test for the undefeated reigning SEC champions. It will only be more of a struggle if Auburn is without one of their biggest weapons in the aerial game.

Per Zach Burnett of NBC's College Football Talk, "there’s a chance Auburn will be without one of the parts that makes its engine run: big-play wideout Sammie Coates. Coates missed the Tigers’ 59-13 win over San Jose State on Sept. 6."

Coates missed that game due to an undisclosed injury to his left leg. However, offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee is far from ruling him out for Thursday's big tilt.

“Sammie is progressing very well,” Lashlee told the Montgomery Advertiser, via Burnett's article on Monday. “We’re still very optimistic he’ll be ready to roll.”

Head coach Gus Malzahn echoed that optimism earlier this week, saying that he expect Coates to be ready to roll on Thursday.

Coates has just one catch for 14 yards this season, but ranked third in the NCAA last season in yards per reception after amassing 42 catches for 902 yards (21.5 YPR).

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