Mentioned on several college football ‘Freaks’ lists before the season, Auburn wide receiver Sammie Coates’ training room numbers are off the charts.

The guy has a 44-inch vertical, run a laser-timed 4.3 in the 40 and can bench press 400-plus pounds.

Why haven’t those numbers translated on the field this fall?

One of Gus Malzahn’s strongest and fastest players on offense who was poised to lead the Tigers’ passing attack in Year 2 of an ever-changing and rhythmic attack, Coates has become a second, often third, read for Nick Marshall and has lacked the overall explosion and quickness we’ve come to expect from the Alabama native.

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Coates’ only touchdown in six starts came against LSU on Oct. 4 when he channeled his 2013 ability, leaping over Rashard Robinson for a catch then separating himself for a 56-yard snare.

Used primarily as a blocking wideout like he has been much of the season, Coates didn’t get one deep ball thrown his way in Saturday’s game against South Carolina and ran into an official for one of his few mentions during the contest. Hampered by knee soreness, Coates managed one reception for 14 yards late in the second quarter and was targeted only twice on 14 passes from Nick Marshall.

Nearly half of Marshall’s incompletions this season have been thrown in Coates’ direction, a product of faulty execution, a lack of rhythm with Auburn’s former No. 1 wideout and Coates failing to get open in space. Only 33 percent of Coates’ total targets — according to statistics from NCAA Savant — have resulted in completions.

Comparatively, the SEC’s leading receiver — Alabama’s Amari Cooper — has hauled in 68 percent of passes thrown his way.

The emergence of JUCO transfer D’haquille Williams as the Tigers’ go-to wideout has placed Coates, who averages 20.5 yards per reception in his career, on the offense’s back burner in the passing game. Williams has more than twice as many catches, yards and touchdowns and has become the primary option on third down.

Coates had a 68-yard reception down the sideline at Mississippi State called back in the third quarter, a play that summed up his struggles this season. Marshall hit Coates in stride behind Bulldogs corner Taveze Calhoun but officials tossed a flag for offensive pass interference.

Earlier in the contest, Coates’ 5-yard touchdown reception was wiped off the board after he went out-of-bounds then came back in. By rule, a player can not be the first one to touch the football when they’ve stepped out of play. Coates shouldered the blame for both mistakes after the game.

“Those are good calls, they’re just mistakes I made on both of them,” Coates said. “I’ve just got to learn from them.”

Part of what makes Coates special as an elite playmaker is his tenacity with the ball in his hands. Last season, he humiliated Texas A&M’s De’Vante Harris near the boundary with an embarrassing ‘get off me’ arm throw in College Station. It was Coates’ arrival moment, the type of highlight we expected to see from the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder as a junior.

Considered one of Auburn’s top draft-eligible prospects coming into this season, Coates can shake off some of the recent criticism with a strong finish and monster campaign next fall as a redshirt senior.

Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout called Coates “a work in progress” during fall camp and said there’s still lingering questions concerning his route-running ability and overall confidence catching the football.

Expected to be Auburn’s first draft pick at the position since Courtney Taylor heard his name called during the sixth round in 2007, Coates has an elite set of tools that will translate to the next level, but we’re waiting to see those unleashed on the Plains this season.

Once he returns to full strength, last season’s Coates should reappear.