Auburn football signee Shon Coleman has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing treatment at St. Jude's Medical Research Center in Memphis, Tenn.

Coleman, a 6-foot-7, 285-pound offensive tackle from Olive Branch, Miss., is a five-star recruit considered one of the prizes of Auburn's 2010 class. He was the top-ranked player in Mississippi.

Coleman's mother, DeKeishia Tunstall, posted on her Facebook page that her son has been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which has a high cure rate.

Olive Branch High athletics director Pete Cordelli told the Memphis Commercial-Appeal that Coleman had a lump removed from his head shortly after spring break. It was determined to be malignant late last week and Coleman began treatment last weekend.

Tunstall wrote in her most recent status update that Coleman was "taking his chemotherapy treatment like a champ."

Tigers coach Gene Chizik said his only thoughts are about Coleman's well-being.

"We have no concern about what his football status is, whatsoever," Chizik said. "We want the young man to be healthy, and our thoughts and prayers are out to the family in terms of recovery. We've never even broached the issue of football, in any way, shape or form, and won't. I just want the young man to be healthy and again."

Some other quick notes and quotes:

• After watching the tape from Saturday's practice at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Chizik thinks the team's run defense needs improvement. "We let some runs get out Saturday that we need to corral back in," Chizik said.

• All four quarterbacks continued to rotate reps equally.

• Dontae Aycock didn't practice today because he was sick.

• Philip Lutzenkirchen was "dinged up," Chizik said. That's usually code for a concussion, but I wouldn't draw any conclusions.

• Wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor said Ralph Spry Jr. has stood out early in camp. Spry sat out last year after transferring from Minnesota.
  

• Running backs coach Curtis Luper said there's no running back depth chart yet, but Mario Fannin is the first one to go out there during drills.

• Fannin had fumbling issues as a freshman, particularly in the South Florida game, but he doesn't think that should still be held against him. "That was really my first game in a college atmosphere," Fannin said. "I've grown from it. I knew my mistakes. It's something I've always tried to work on since that game. I think I"m better at it."