Hugh Freeze details Auburn’s NIL strategy, talks confidence in 2025 team with David Pollack

Hugh Freeze joined David Pollack on the “See Ball Get Ball” podcast on Thursday morning. Freeze discussed a number of topics. When asked what his plan of attack will be at SEC Media Days, Freeze broke down why fans may be uneasy, he questioned the recruiting structure while pointing out Auburn’s current plan in the new settlement, and he talked about his current team for the upcoming season.

Q: Coach, you mentioned that a lot of people are talking about your golf game. Media days are coming up next week… Do you plan? Do you have a speech or are you going to wing it? How do you go about prepping for the event that is SEC Media Days?

FREEZE: “I really have never been a big planner for that. I like to be transparent and truthful. This is the time when people are looking for things to write about and I do love golf, I enjoy playing. What people don’t realize–I assure you I never missed a camp day or a recruiting day. But, if camp got over at 3 pm one day, and Jill and I go out at 4:30, we absolutely might do that–and I’m not apologizing for that part of it. My focus is 100 percent on getting Auburn in that win column this fall.

PATH TO THE TOP 10: HOW AUBURN CAN TURN RECRUITING AROUND

“I think the biggest thing causing most of it is the recruiting rankings right now because we have been top ten my two years here in recruiting and currently we are not. Good lord, we could spend 30 minutes on why I think that is, but there are a lot of people right now who are operating under a different set of rules on what their interpretation is of this settlement and how you should operate. I’m going to operate in the manner that our administration has interpreted it. We will see–I think it is a long game play for us that I think is going to work out in our favor because we are doing it very transparent and the way we believe the settlement is written to operate if that makes sense.

“And, the other thing that nobody talks about–and y’all may, I don’t listen to much–I’m not on social media, my daughter does it… ‘Well, Freeze is not getting this receiver in-state.’ Do y’all realize, on paper, I am not losing a single receiver? This is not like the old days where you sign 25 guys and then figure out who the 85 are. This is actually a salary cap world and I like our receiver room. How do I go and make offers to receivers at numbers that these other schools are when, come January, I kind of want to keep the one I have. I don’t think the Finebaum’s of the world or any of them think about all of that. They just say he’s playing golf and not recruiting.

“There are just a lot of dynamics into it right now. I’m confident that our staff–we have not changed a single approach with our recruiting, people love it when they come to Auburn. But, there are just a lot of dynamics that go into their decisions currently. Come August 1, everybody has to put this in writing now and we will see where everything shakes out after that. How in the world are you going to convince a third 5-star quarterback to come to you when you have Jackson Arnold and Deuce Knight? If we’re really operating under a true salary cap where we have no idea what an NIL value is until they decide that, which is our interpretation of the new rules, how do you do that?

“I’ve sent my General Manager to NFL teams and we know how much percentage goes in a running back room, a quarterback room, a defensive line room. You better be figuring out how in the world come January how you retain that defensive lineman that has the experience that I need. If you promised all of that already to a freshman, that is an issue. And, the biggest thing, the calendar is so messed up, you’re asking us to sign a class in December and I won’t know who my roster is until January. How do you do that? I don’t know who is turning pro, so you kind of have to speculate.”

NIL STRATEGY TALK: AUBURN FINDS SOME COMPANY ON THE LEDGE

Q: Coach you mentioned maybe in the past about how this season and success on the field will aid in all of that. What does success this year look like for you?

FREEZE: “We embrace the expectations. I don’t get into these people who talk about pressure. I have long since decided–well not long, probably four years ago–my story and my wife’s story, my family’s story, it is a God story. He is the author and my answer is yes to that. I don’t have a seat at the table to write the story, I don’t have a pen to write the story, it is not mine to write. When I approach it like that, I don’t have the pressure or any of that.

“At the same time, I am a realist, and Auburn is a place that has to win. I believe we’re going to. I think we finally have enough depth and talent. We can’t run from the fact that the last two years, there were six games we easily could have won. I’m not saying that we should have, but we easily could have won six more football games, last year, four. That changes the whole dynamic of things.

We didn’t have our kicker last year and I think that cost us three games, truthfully. We had three opportunities to go up three scores in SEC games and missed field goals that changed the whole dynamic of the game. By the way, what a story that is. Him having most of his colon removed and sitting out, then choosing not to have the rest of the surgeries that would repair him to function normally just so he can play. That speaks volumes of Alex and his character and his love for Auburn.

“But, I don’t give into the pressure of all of that, but at the same time embrace the expectations and want them. I want our kids to want them. I sense something different in the confidence level of our staff, the chemistry and the culture has grown. Certainly we are not perfect and we have kids that make mistakes and that will continue as long as you’re coaching and you have to make tough decisions sometimes. For the most part, though, I love the leadership of our team, I love this roster, and I’m excited to see what they do on the field.”