AUBURN | Hugh Freeze isn’t guaranteeing 10 or more wins, but he’s certainly more optimistic as he prepares for his second season at Auburn.
Freeze shared a recent text exchange he had with a close friend during his Friday more press conference.
“I told him, ‘Man, I really like this team, I like the attitude.’” said Freeze. “They seem to be operating -- I don't think you ever get 100 percent buy-in on everything -- but for the most part, it seems like they're operating out of hunger and humility and not some entitlement. Pulling for each other, even though they're competing to play and for playing time.
“I really like this team. I don't know that that means win or losses, but I'm really enjoying coaching this team and the staff.”
One of the reasons for Freeze’s optimism is the improvement and competitive atmosphere in the wide receiver room, which includes seven of nine scholarship newcomers.
Freeze credits veteran transfers KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Rob Lewis with bringing a lot of leadership to the young group along with being standouts on the field.
“Both have set a really nice tone of leadership in that room and accountability and showing how to celebrate for the other guys when they do well,” said Freeze. “There’s nothing in this world - in sport for sure - there’s nothing in this world like competition. It will bring out either the best in you, or, I’ve seen some go the other way.
“It is what it is when that happens, those are the ones you can’t really depend upon. But that competition in that room right now is elevating."
The marked improvement in the Tigers’ wideouts has Freeze and his offensive staff implementing more 10 and 20 personnel packages, which would combine four receivers and one running back, or three receivers and two running backs.
“I have no problem having Damari (Alston) and Jarquez (Hunter) and (Jeremiah) Cobb on the field at the same time with Perry (Thompson), Cam (Coleman) and Dre or Malcolm (Simmons) or whoever it ends up being,” said Freeze. “And Rivaldo (Fairweather), we played him too much last year, truthfully. And your routes get sloppy and they get slower the more we’re asking.
“So that 10 and 20 will definitely give him a breather. As long as those receivers keep coming on, I see us being more multiple in personnel.”
Freeze is seeing the results on the field. He was pleased with the Tigers’ practices this week as they wrap up fall camp and move toward game-week preparations with two weeks before the season-opener against Alabama A&M.
“I think this week's been much cleaner,” said Freeze. “Not perfect, but cleaner and, you know, we went to the stadium Tuesday night and got after it pretty good and had some tackling periods and some thud periods and I thought they handled that fairly well.
“And this week, yesterday was probably, we had one that I thought was not clean enough, which that's down considerably.”
Auburn will practice Friday morning and hold its second full scrimmage in Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday morning.
