Why Hugh Freeze is 'absolutely, positively convinced' Auburn football can be 'elite'
AUBURN — Auburn football still has a bowl game to play, but coach Hugh Freeze's first regular season on the Plains is officially in the books.
The first-year Tigers coach and his staff are now in the process of shifting their attention to both in-house and traditional recruiting. The former's goal is to retain as many contributors as possible, whether that means persuading fringe NFL prospects to return for another year of development or convincing younger players to stay away from the transfer portal.
Auburn went 6-6 under Freeze in 2023, a slight improvement from the 5-7 record the Tigers posted under former coach Bryan Harsin and interim head coach Cadillac Williams last season; Harsin went 3-5, Williams went 2-2.
While the progress, albeit marginal, is encouraging, it's difficult to not feel like there was some meat left on the proverbial bone in 2023. Auburn had Georgia on the ropes in September, only lost by one score to Ole Miss in October and was on the wrong end of one of the most legendary endings in Iron Bowl history against Alabama.
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Perhaps getting to .500 was good enough, though. Freeze hasn't been shy in sharing that he's been more focused on recruiting this season than actually coaching the current Tigers; he's left that second part largely to his coaching staff.
"I really didn't have a vision for this year, other than to try to get us to a bowl game and improve us from week to week," Freeze said after the backbreaking loss to the Crimson Tide on Nov. 25. "... We can't recruit in the 30s and 40s and 50s and expect all of a sudden to walk out there and be great coaches. It's a combination."
Auburn currently has 18 players committed in the Class of 2024, a haul that's highlighted by a couple of five-star recruits in wide receiver Perry Thompson and linebacker Demarcus Riddick. Top-75 edge defender Jamonta Waller and four-star quarterback Walker White are pledged to play for the Tigers next season, too.
The up and down on-field results in 2023 haven't dissuaded Freeze in what he believes is possible at Auburn.
"I’m absolutely, positively convinced this place can be an elite program," he said Monday. "... Does that mean you’re going to win every single game? Probably not. I don’t know if many teams are going to do that anymore, truthfully. We should be in every game. This place, the support it has, the energy, the fanbase, the culture, the family feel, the administration alignment, the facilities, everything is here for us to build — and I say build, these things don’t happen overnight — to build a championship team here.
"We can do it. ... I’m totally convinced. My family loves living here. We love the encouragement you get from the common fan that loves this place. It has been a blessing. Wish we would have delivered more wins, but I’ll always feel that way, probably."
Auburn's group of commitments in the Class of 2024 is ranked No. 17 nationally, per the 247Sports Composite. Freeze has reiterated throughout his first year that the Tigers need to be within or around the top 10 in 2024 and 2025 for his tenure to be successful.
For that to happen in 2024, Auburn will need to end the recruiting cycle on a high note. The Tigers are still in the hunt for some notable prospects, including five-star receiver Cam Coleman from Central Phenix City High School.
Getting players like that will help Auburn finish the job against teams such as Georgia and Alabama going forward.
"It’s hard for me to sit here and say that I am proud of delivering six wins when I felt like it could have been more," Freeze said. "But, man, the Auburn family and fans have blown me away, which makes us want to deliver to them a product that they can be so happy with. I know we were limited. You could see there was different athleticism on the field in some games, but yet our kids found a way to compete.
"I’m very proud of that, but sure wish we could of had a few more in the win column."
Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Hugh Freeze believes Auburn football can be elite? Is he right?
