Auburn Head Coach Hugh Freeze Grows Increasingly Confident in Offensive Line as Tigers Prepare for Critical 2025 Fall Camp Stretch
As Auburn football turns the page to a highly anticipated 2025 season, one of the more encouraging developments around the program is head coach Hugh Freeze’s growing confidence in his offensive line unit. Known for his offensive mind and up-tempo schemes, Freeze has made no secret of the fact that a strong offensive line is the bedrock of everything he hopes to accomplish in year two at the helm. As fall camp approaches and the roster begins to solidify, Freeze’s early optimism is only intensifying—something that hasn’t always been the case in recent Auburn football memory.
Auburn’s offensive line has been a source of concern and inconsistency for several years, with past units struggling to generate push in the run game and keep quarterbacks clean in the pocket. When Freeze took over the program in 2023, he inherited a line that was both thin in depth and light on proven talent. The Tigers endured their share of growing pains in his first year, but the coaching staff prioritized offensive line recruiting and development in a major way heading into 2024 and beyond.
Now, entering the 2025 fall camp, Freeze sees something different. He sees size. He sees depth. He sees cohesion. And most importantly, he sees progress.
“From where we were when we first got here to where we are now, it’s night and day,” Freeze said during a recent media session. “It’s the best I’ve felt about our offensive line group since taking this job. They’re bigger, stronger, more experienced, and more confident. And that changes everything.”
The Tigers return multiple starters from the 2024 season, a campaign that showed signs of improvement down the stretch, particularly in the run game. Left tackle Dillon Wade, one of the anchors of the group, is back for his senior year after an offseason that included added muscle, refined technique, and increased leadership responsibilities. Alongside him, returning center Avery Jones brings stability to the interior, while redshirt junior guard Jaden Muskrat is expected to take another leap forward as a run-blocking specialist.
Perhaps even more exciting for Freeze and offensive line coach Jake Thornton is the influx of talent from the transfer portal and a 2025 high school recruiting class loaded with blue-chip linemen. The addition of former Texas A&M guard Marcus Frazier gives the Tigers a plug-and-play option with SEC experience, while freshman tackle Jeremiah Banks—a consensus top-100 recruit—has already turned heads in summer workouts with his athleticism and maturity.
But talent alone doesn’t make a dominant offensive line. Cohesion and chemistry are just as vital, and that’s where Freeze says this year’s group has taken its biggest step.
“You can have five great individuals, but if they’re not communicating and moving together, it won’t matter,” Freeze said. “What I’m seeing now is five guys—and more than five, really—who are starting to gel. They understand the calls, they understand the protections, and they trust each other. That’s the foundation for any great offense.”
During spring practices, the line was frequently praised by both coaches and players for their physicality and tempo. Auburn’s defensive front, considered one of the stronger units in the SEC, was reportedly pushed hard throughout camp by an offensive line that refused to back down from contact or competition. Several practices featured heated one-on-one battles, with the offensive line holding their own and, at times, dominating in short-yardage drills.
Quarterback Hank Brown, who is competing for the starting job in fall camp, credited the offensive line for creating a cleaner pocket and giving the quarterbacks time to go through their progressions. “You can feel it as a quarterback when the line is clicking,” Brown said. “It’s not just about protection. It’s the rhythm, the confidence, the ability to step into throws. These guys are doing the work, and it shows.”
That work has extended beyond the practice field. Freeze has made it a point to emphasize strength and conditioning as a year-round priority, and the offensive line room has responded. Players have reported significant gains in the weight room under the guidance of Auburn’s strength staff, with several linemen adding lean muscle mass and improving flexibility—both key for staying healthy over the course of the brutal SEC schedule.
Nutrition, too, has become a focal point. The program has invested in personalized meal plans and recovery routines, understanding that development doesn’t stop after practice ends. The goal, according to Thornton, is not just to survive the SEC trenches—but to dominate them.
“We want to be the hammer, not the nail,” Thornton said. “We’ve got guys who are starting to buy into that mindset, and that’s huge. The SEC is a line-of-scrimmage league. If you don’t win there, you don’t win.”
While Freeze’s optimism is cautious, it’s clearly grounded in a growing belief that this group could be special. He knows the challenges that await—games against Georgia, LSU, and Alabama loom large—but he also knows the importance of winning the battle in the trenches if Auburn is going to close the gap between itself and the SEC’s elite.
That belief is beginning to ripple through the entire program. Running backs coach Cadillac Williams has spoken glowingly about the holes being opened up in the run game during team drills. Auburn’s talented backfield, headlined by sophomore sensation Jeremiah Cobb, figures to benefit greatly from a line that’s beginning to move defenders off the ball more consistently.
“Cobb’s got vision and burst, but you’ve got to give him a crease,” Williams said. “This line’s starting to create those creases. It’s a beautiful thing when that comes together.”
For Freeze, building a dominant offensive line isn’t just a priority—it’s a necessity. His offensive system, which thrives on tempo, rhythm, and explosive plays, depends on the line’s ability to execute at a high level play after play. Without reliable protection and consistent push in the run game, the entire offense can stall. That’s why Freeze and his staff have worked relentlessly over the past 18 months to reshape the room, not just in terms of personnel but in mentality.
He’s not ready to declare Auburn’s line among the SEC’s best just yet—but the arrow is pointing up. And as fall camp opens, the coaching staff will be watching closely to see how the unit responds to the increased pressure, intensity, and real competition.
One of the most important battles will take place at right tackle, where several players are vying for a starting role. Sophomore E.J. Harris and redshirt freshman Tyler McLaughlin are two names to watch, both of whom have shown potential but need to prove they can hold up against SEC edge rushers. Whoever wins the job will be expected to step in and perform immediately.
Depth will also be critical. Injuries are inevitable over the course of a season, and the staff is emphasizing the need for at least eight or nine linemen to be ready to play meaningful snaps. That means freshmen, transfers, and returning backups will all have a chance to prove their value over the coming weeks.
As Freeze evaluates the group during fall camp, he’ll be looking not only at physical traits, but at communication, accountability, and resilience. He wants a line that doesn’t fold after a bad rep, that can adjust on the fly, and that takes pride in imposing its will on opponents.
So far, the early signs are encouraging.
“I’ve coached a lot of offenses over the years,” Freeze said. “And I’ve seen what happens when the line takes ownership of their role. They set the tone. They dictate the tempo. And they make everything else easier. I think this group has a chance to be that kind of unit.”
If they are, Auburn’s offense could surprise people in 2025. With playmakers at the skill positions, a quarterback battle filled with talent, and an offensive mind like Freeze calling the shots, the potential is there. But it will all start up front. And as Freeze’s excitement makes clear, this might finally be the year Auburn’s offensive line turns from a liability into a strength.
Fall camp will tell the story. The pads will come on. The reps will get real. And the competition will intensify. But for now, as summer transitions into the grind of preseason, one thing is certain: Hugh Freeze likes what he sees in the trenches. And that’s something Auburn fans have been waiting to hear for a long time.
