USA Today’s Matt Hayes has little confidence in Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze’s offseason strategy for rebuilding his roster and preparing the Tigers for the fall.
In particular, Hayes is unimpressed with Freeze’s decision to bring in transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold from Oklahoma and the way he’s been integrated into the program. Hayes criticized Freeze for instructing the defense to ease up on Arnold during practices, arguing that the coach is mishandling the very area that was supposed to be his strength.
“Freeze has failed spectacularly with the very thing that got him the job in the first place,” Hayes wrote, noting that Auburn’s offenses have ranked 12th and 11th in the SEC in scoring over the past two seasons, with quarterbacks throwing a combined 26 interceptions.
Knowing he needed a reliable quarterback who could protect the football in a pivotal third season, Freeze brought in Arnold — a benched Oklahoma starter and former five-star recruit — but then limited the defense’s pressure on him to preserve his confidence. Hayes called the move “a bumbling, fumbling philosophical train wreck,” predicting it will fail on several levels.
Two key points emerge from this critique. First, Arnold could indeed flop if he’s not the right fit, despite Freeze and Marcus Davis assembling one of the SEC’s strongest receiving corps. Arnold leaned heavily on his running ability in 2024, especially in Oklahoma’s upset of Alabama, and Auburn may need more from him as a passer.
Second, the idea that limiting defensive pressure in camp will doom Arnold is overstated. No preseason scrimmage truly replicates game-day speed, and no defender wants to be the one who injures the starting quarterback. Around the country, even elite pass rushers are told to pull up before delivering a hit in practice.
If Arnold struggles, the bigger culprit may be Auburn’s complicated three-man play-calling setup involving Freeze, Derrick Nix, and Kent Austin. Similar issues arose in 2023 when Freeze undercut offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery. That systemic problem, more than practice contact rules, could leave Arnold unprepared.
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