Hugh Freeze shares what he likes from Shane Hooks
Hugh Freeze brought in three transfers at wide receiver to take Auburn’s passing game back up a notch. Former Ohio and Jackson State WR Shane Hooks was amongst that trio and, to this point, he’s still trying to make the right impression on the Tiger’s head coach.
Freeze spoke about Hooks’ work and play since arriving on The Plains, specifically this fall, in a press conference this weekend. He said that, at 6’4, he provides a large weapon through the air but that the issue now is getting that size to play at the appropriate speed.
“He’s a big target. I wish he played the game a little faster,” said Freeze. “We’ve got to get him to do that I think. Some of that comes from maybe not playing against the speed at this level yet.”
However, that isn’t a problem that’s specific to Hooks. Freeze added that Auburn is spending a lot of time trying to get their new players, including their transfer receivers, to move at the pace that they’ll need them to this fall.
“If we can get him convinced to run every route? And knowing, ‘Dude, you can get a break but run this route like the game depends upon it‘? I think that’s the case, truthfully, with a lot of our transfer receivers,” Freeze said. “Now, again, some people have been hurt…but it seems like the transfers, the new guys? I’ve got to get them to play faster all the time. Shane is the same way.”
With that said, Hooks remains a very talented option in the Tiger’s receiving corps. Over his time with the Bobcats and JSU Tigers, he caught 116 passes for over 1,600 receiving yards and 18 scores.
Now, as he enters this season in the SEC, Freeze just wants him to get moving in time for the fall so that he can show everybody his ability to make highlights.
“I’ll tell you: He made I don’t know how many catches today. But the guy made some really nice catches, runs after the catch,” said Freeze. “Then one of the touchdowns he caught was kind of like if it were a game? It would be on SportsCenter tonight. One of those type of one-handed, back-of-the-endzone grabs. He has a really solid day.”
Freeze disappointed in lack of ‘juice’ from Auburn in scrimmage
Auburn has not been performing to Hugh Freeze’s standard so far during fall camp scrimmages. Citing a lack on energy on both sides of the ball — he can’t put his finger on why his Tigers continue to struggle during in-game simulations.
“The two (scrimmages) we’ve played in the stadium? In my eyes? And maybe it’s just the size of the stadium. But we seem flat,” Freeze said after Saturday’s scrimmage, the second of the preseason. “Practices this week were really, really good. [The media] got to see one and I thought the energy was good. I didn’t sense that same energy. Maybe that changes when the stadium is full, I don’t know.
“When we get a chance to go in that stadium and play, there’s got to be some juice.”
Auburn will be needing some sort of motivation when it comes to playing winning football — something that has been lacking over the past two years. Freeze is known to be that jolt of electricity programs need to become successful and has proven that he can turn things around quickly at any level of college football.