AUBURN | Auburn made a football hire Monday and it could bring the program back to competing for championships.
That is the upside that Hugh Freeze brings to Auburn along with the potential to make significant upgrades in the talent-level with his recruiting of high school, junior college and portal athletes.
A football hire is exactly what Auburn needed as the program fell farther and farther behind its two biggest rivals and the SEC is about to take another step forward in competitiveness with the addition of Oklahoma and Texas.
Freeze can transform Auburn's future and it could get off to a white-hot start in December with the transfer portal opening Dec. 5 and the early signing period set for Dec. 21.
The Tigers' current roster for 2023 has a lot of holes in it, but that will allow Freeze and his staff to sell immediate playing time to prospects along with a sparkling new football-only facility and a very competitive NIL collective.
That's a recipe for a lot of success in the hands of a head coach that prioritizes recruiting.
John Cohen talked about fit and I’m going to write about checking off three key boxes that could make Freeze’s tenure at Auburn very successful.
It starts with recruiting. He recruited five-stars at Ole Miss and turned most of them into first-round draft picks. Yes, I know he committed recruiting violations to get some of those players, but I also know most of that is irrelevant in the NIL era.
But what’s key for Freeze is his inherent understanding of the importance of recruiting to the sustained success of a program.
I believe the days of Auburn just rolling over and letting Alabama, Georgia, Clemson and many others just do you like that (shout out to T-Will) on the recruiting trail are over.
Another important asset that Freeze will bring to Auburn is his offensive acumen. He’s shown the ability to excel with mobile quarterbacks or pocket quarterbacks and feature the run or the passing game.
He knows how to get the best out of his players, and AU’s program, facilities and NIL war chest are going to give him access to the most talented pool of players he’s ever worked with in his coaching career.
Lastly, when the dust settles, I think that most Auburn fans will appreciate the genuine and emotional way that Freeze speaks during press conferences, interviews and alumni meetings.
The authentic emotion and love Cadillac Williams displayed during his four weeks in charge had a profound effect on everyone within the Auburn orbit. Freeze has that same natural ability to connect on an emotional level with his coaching staff, players and fans.
But with the football hire, it’s also important to acknowledge the concerns many in the Auburn community have expressed with some of Freeze’s well-documented off-the-field behavior.
Their voice should not be ignored and it’s important that part of Tuesday morning’s press conference addresses those concerns in a thoughtful and honest way.
Williams did an incredible job uniting the Auburn family behind the football program and its players over the last four weeks.
Freeze has some work to do in that area and it starts right now.