Athlon Sports assesses Hugh Freeze's hot seat temperature entering 2025

Hugh Freeze is still looking for his first winning season as head coach at Auburn. Heading into his third season in the role, Freeze has a combined 11-14 record during his first two seasons with the Tigers.

However, Freeze appears to have his team in position for its most successful season yet under his leadership. That hasn’t stopped him from placed on the hot seat. Athlon Sports assessed where he stands heading into 2025.

“Freeze has the talent level on the rise at Auburn, but he’s posted back-to-back losing records since taking over in ’23,” Athlon Sports’ Steven Lassan writes. “The Tigers are 5-11 in SEC play in that span, and the offense — Freeze’s side of the ball — has ranked near the bottom of the conference in scoring.”

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Auburn’s issues on the offensive side of the football were well-documented during the 2024 season. Turnovers were a major issue, as well as consistency under center. Freeze’s response to this was to find a new quarterback in the transfer portal — former Oklahoma signal caller Jackson Arnold.

Arnold finished the 2024 campaign 154-of-246 passing for 1,421 yards and 12 touchdowns, against three interceptions. He also ran for 444 yards and three touchdowns. He is a former Five-Star-Plus+ quarterback in the 2023 cycle.

He has some weapons at his disposal as well. Out wide, Freeze made the addition of Eric Singleton who transferred into the program from Georgia Tech calling him one of the best wideouts in college football. Cam Coleman is back for a second season after having a productive true freshman season in 2024.

Auburn will certainly miss the constant presence of Jarquez Hunter in the backfield, but in his place Damari Alston appears poised to take the bulk of the carries for the Tigers this season. He is the top returning rusher from last year’s roster, getting his number called for 52 carries during the 2024 season. He rushed for 276 yards to go with three touchdowns.

Moreover, the Tigers schedule is full of key games that could change the outlook of their whole year. It starts with the season opener on the road against Baylor. Other key opportunities include consecutive road matchups against Oklahoma and Texas A&M to begin SEC play, as well the bi-annual instance where Auburn’s schedule features home games against both Georgia and Alabama.