Hugh Freeze took over an Auburn Tigers program two years ago that had reached one of its lowest points.
Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze is the first in 50 years to be granted a third season after back-to-back losing campaigns — a rare show of patience that can be attributed in large part to the condition of the program when he took over before the 2023 season.
When Freeze arrived, the Tigers were struggling both in talent and on-field performance, reaching historically low levels. Both he and the Auburn administration understood it would take time to rebuild the roster to a point where the team could contend for SEC titles again.
“It’s quite different in a good way,” Freeze said, comparing the current state of the roster to when he first arrived. “When you inherit a program like Auburn, with its expectations, there’s usually a reason you’re getting the job,” he said, alluding to the difficult stretch under former coach Bryan Harsin.
Freeze was careful not to criticize those who came before him, acknowledging that many factors contribute to a team’s struggles. “You can’t really judge unless you’ve walked in someone else’s shoes,” he said. “In this league, you need top-10 recruiting classes to build a championship-level roster.”
Freeze has now overseen two full recruiting cycles at Auburn, with 247Sports ranking the Tigers’ classes No. 10 in 2024 and No. 8 in 2025.
“I believed we could recruit at a high level here, and I think we’ve proven that with the two classes we’ve signed,” Freeze said. “I always thought it would take three full cycles to get the roster to where it can truly compete with the top teams in the SEC, and I still believe that’s true.”
Technically, Freeze was at the helm for the 2023 class, but first-year coaches are often given a pass on those classes due to limited time for relationship building. Even so, that group produced standout defensive end Keldric Faulk, who could become Auburn’s highest NFL Draft pick since Derrick Brown went No. 7 overall in 2020. Some recent mock drafts have Faulk going as high as No. 2 overall.
Freeze has allowed for a gradual rebuild but knows the pressure is on now. He won’t get a fourth season without results in 2025.
“I do feel good about where we are after two full classes, and I believe we can — and should — be competitive this season,” Freeze said.
Momentum from successful recruiting efforts in recent months has sparked hope across the program. Now, it’s about turning that hope into wins.
“So let’s go line up and see what we’ve got,” Freeze said with confidence.
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