Hugh Freeze sees rapid improvement in Auburn's roster, ready for the challenges ahead
Hugh Freeze knows the Auburn football program isn’t where he wants it to be in terms of overall talent and depth, but Freeze does feel like much was accomplished in a short period of time following his hiring on November 28.
Two weeks after Freeze was hired, the Auburn football recruiting class ranked No. 38 nationally according to the On3 Sports Consensus Team Rankings. They only had 10 commitments.
Fast forward to the end of January and the Tigers sit at No. 16 in the same rankings with 21 commitments. Toss in a No. 4-ranked transfer portal class with 12 newcomers with an average player grade of 77.92 compared to 10 outgoing players’ average grade of 66.33, and you can see why Freeze is enthusiastic.
“I think in a short amount of time we improved ourselves,” Freeze told Simone Eli of WKRG in Mobile, Ala. on Monday during his visit to Senior Bowl practice. “It’s hard to say we closed the gap on those guys that are playing for national championships or in the playoffs and all that in just two and a half weeks.”
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He is right. The gap won’t be closed in one year. In the 2023 signing class alone, Alabama signed 17 more four and five stars than Auburn, while Georgia signed 13 more. That’s just one class. Football rosters are made of multiple classes back to back, so you can see the gap Freeze is talking about and the work that needs to be done.
However, Freeze appears more than ready for the challenge that lies ahead.
“It makes you doubt whether you did the right thing some days,” Freeze joked when talking about what it takes to recruit at a high level in the SEC. “Liberty was an awesome place and I probably could have stayed there and won eight to 10 games every year and not had to compete against the type of recruiting you have here. But I think all of us are made a certain way where, ‘give me that shot and let us see what we can do.'”
And here’s more evidence Freeze gets it. Coaching changes can bring new energy and excitement to a football program, evidenced by the surge Auburn made in recruiting over the last two months. However, winning in the SEC is beyond difficult and taking advantage of momentum is paramount.
That’s why Freeze doesn’t mince words when talking about what’s on the line during the next two years of on and off-the-field success.
“I really believe the 2024 and 2025 class will determine our success or not,” Freeze said. “We have to hustle and nail those two classes with the right type of players that fit our culture.”
Freeze was in attendance watching Auburn stars Derick Hall and Eku Leota perform in front of NFL scouts in preparation for the 2023 NFL Draft. The Senior Bowl game takes place on Saturday, February 4 at 1:30 pm CT. Hall is a projected first or second round selection, with Leota a late-round projection.
