Auburn building momentum under Freeze

Hugh Freeze arrived to Auburn in late November.

It's been a little over two months since he took over head coaching duties and there's no question about it — recruiting is off to a hot start. Freeze and his staff put together one of the strongest finishes in the country to their 2023 class and are now gearing up for the 2024 class.

There's no one more familiar with Freeze than some of his staff, who know all about his ability as a recruiter.

"He’s relentless," said tight ends coach Ben Aigamaua. "I don’t think anybody will out-recruit him because of his relentlessness. It’s always awesome to see the way he works, the way he talks to people and families when we get into the homes."

During his introductory press conference in late November, Freeze described himself as a living room guy — someone whose strength in recruiting is visiting with families and hitting the road.

"He can walk into a room and capture it," Aigamaua said. "Just by his presence, just by his attitude, just by the way he speaks. Especially in this part of the country, he can relate to a lot of families."

It's one way that the Tigers landed 2023 four-star Keldric Faulk, among others.

"It felt like [Faulk] always wanted to be here," said defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett. "We just needed to recruit him hard, give him a reason to come, that way he trusts us. The whole staff, the whole building did a great job of showing his mom, himself and the family, that this is a place he can grow and develop."

Freeze's ability to relate to families is just one contributing factor to early success. According to wide receivers coach Marcus Davis, being transparent is another part of the head coach's recruiting criteria.

"He’s genuine," Davis said. "I think you can feel that as soon as you get around him. There’s nothing extra, it’s straight to the point and you can feel that."

Recruits can feel it, too.

Auburn hosted a massive Junior Day in the final weekend of January, playing host to over 150 recruits and their families. Since then, the Tigers have gained two commitments — cornerback Jayden Lewis and quarterback Walker White.

It's a positive sign for Auburn, that heads into spring with much-needed recruiting momentum.