Despite Bold Offseason Overhaul by Hugh Freeze, Auburn Football Still Faces Widespread Doubts Entering 2025 College Football Season
Hugh Freeze is no stranger to rebuilds, but even by his standards, the challenge at Auburn has been monumental. Since taking over on the Plains, Freeze and his staff have reshaped the program from the inside out. Whether it’s revamping the culture, upgrading talent through recruiting and the transfer portal, or modernizing the offensive system, it’s clear Auburn has not stood still this offseason. Yet, despite all the movement, few outside of Auburn’s fan base are convinced that this program is ready to contend again in the rugged Southeastern Conference.
Auburn is coming off another up-and-down season in 2024, a year that showed flashes of progress but also revealed deep flaws. Freeze, known for his offensive ingenuity and quarterback development, entered the offseason with a clear mission: inject more talent, toughness, and discipline into a roster that has struggled with consistency since the end of the Gus Malzahn era. He’s added new assistant coaches, leaned heavily into the transfer portal, and brought in a recruiting class ranked in the top 15 nationally. But in the unforgiving world of SEC football, especially in a newly expanded league with the likes of Texas and Oklahoma entering the fray, perception remains difficult to shift.
One of Freeze’s most impactful offseason moves came at the quarterback position, where he doubled down on competition. After an inconsistent 2024 campaign from Payton Thorne, Freeze targeted the portal and landed a dual-threat transfer with upside, hoping to push Thorne and raise the floor of Auburn’s passing game. Thorne remains in the mix as a veteran with starting experience, but many within the program expect a legitimate competition deep into fall camp. For Auburn to take the next step, improvement under center is not optional—it’s essential.
At running back, Jarquez Hunter returns as the clear No. 1 option after topping 1,000 yards last season, and the backfield has been bolstered with young talent and transfer depth. Freeze has made it a priority to build the offense around a strong running game, and Hunter fits that mold perfectly. He runs with power, patience, and explosiveness—traits that Freeze-coached backs have historically thrived with. But even Hunter’s presence won’t be enough if Auburn’s offensive line doesn’t make a leap.
The offensive line has been one of Auburn’s biggest weaknesses in recent years, but this offseason brought both new blood and renewed attention to the trenches. The Tigers added multiple transfers with starting experience from Power Five programs and hit the recruiting trail hard to address long-term depth issues. If the new-look line can gel quickly, it could open up the entire playbook for Freeze. Still, chemistry and cohesion in the trenches are hard to simulate until real games are played, and this group will face trial by fire with early matchups against elite SEC defensive lines.
Wide receiver was another area of focus this offseason. Auburn’s 2024 receiving corps was inconsistent and lacked a true go-to option. In response, Freeze landed several highly regarded high school signees and transfers, hoping to upgrade explosiveness and create separation downfield. Ja’Varrius Johnson is back and provides a veteran presence with big-play ability, but he’ll need help. The success of the passing game may hinge on whether Auburn can find a reliable second and third option at receiver—something that has eluded them in recent years.
Defensively, the Tigers return a core of proven playmakers, including All-SEC selections like cornerback D.J. James and defensive lineman Marcus Harris. The offseason also brought new faces to the defensive staff and roster, with an emphasis on speed and aggressiveness. Eugene Asante returns as the emotional leader at linebacker, and Freeze has spoken at length about the need for Auburn to be more disruptive at all three levels. Depth remains a question, particularly on the defensive line and at safety, but the starting unit has potential.
What’s clear is that Freeze is trying to build a roster that can compete physically with the top teams in the SEC. Auburn has often been caught in the middle—not as physical as Georgia, not as explosive as Alabama, and not as disciplined as LSU. Freeze’s offseason strategy was to fix that by reestablishing identity and toughness. Still, talent alone doesn’t translate to wins in the SEC, where execution and depth matter just as much.
Special teams, one of the few consistent bright spots for Auburn in recent years, returns one of the SEC’s best kickers in Alex McPherson. His leg gives the Tigers a scoring edge in close games, but Auburn would rather not rely on field goals to stay competitive.
While the moves made by Freeze this offseason are commendable and ambitious, national analysts and rival fan bases remain skeptical. Auburn was picked to finish in the bottom half of the SEC in most preseason polls, and few see the Tigers as a legitimate threat to reach Atlanta this December. Some of that skepticism is rooted in the competition—few programs have to play Georgia, Alabama, Texas, and LSU in the same season—but some of it is based on Auburn’s recent track record of instability and unmet expectations.
Even Auburn fans, who are among the most passionate in the country, know the road back to national relevance isn’t going to be smooth. They’ve seen offseason hype before, and many are taking a wait-and-see approach. For every five-star freshman or high-profile transfer, there’s a lingering question about how the pieces fit together. Can Freeze build chemistry quickly enough? Will the quarterback play finally stabilize? Can the defense avoid late-game collapses?
To Freeze’s credit, he hasn’t tried to hide from the noise. In interviews and press conferences, he’s acknowledged that Auburn isn’t yet where it wants to be. But he’s also confident that the foundation is being laid. He’s emphasized the culture shift within the locker room and pointed to improved practice habits and offseason conditioning as early indicators of growth. Freeze has made it clear that while he wants to win now, he’s also building something sustainable.
That long-term vision is part of what appealed to Auburn’s administration when Freeze was hired. He’s experienced both the heights of SEC success and the depths of program adversity, and he understands how fragile momentum can be. His staff is filled with coaches who know the league’s terrain, and they’ve worked tirelessly to build relationships with high school coaches and players across the Southeast. The recruiting returns are starting to reflect that effort, but results on the field must follow.
There’s no shortage of opportunity in 2025. With the SEC expanding and the College Football Playoff growing to 12 teams, there’s a clear path for a program like Auburn to sneak into contention with the right mix of wins and style points. But that starts with winning winnable games—something Auburn struggled with last season. Road games at Kentucky and Mississippi State, along with home dates against Arkansas and Texas A&M, could define Auburn’s season more than its rivalry showdowns. The Tigers can’t afford to go 6–6 again—not with this much investment and attention.
In many ways, 2025 feels like a tipping point. If the Tigers show tangible improvement—eight or nine wins, strong showings against top opponents, and signs of quarterback development—then Freeze will have something to sell on the recruiting trail and within the building. If not, the whispers of doubt will grow louder. The SEC waits for no one, and in a league where patience is in short supply, each season feels like a referendum on a coach’s entire regime.
So far, Freeze has said the right things and made the right moves. But now the spotlight shifts to Saturdays. Can Auburn’s new-look offense find consistency? Will the defense hold up in the fourth quarter? Can the Tigers finally finish games they’re supposed to win?
Those are the questions that only game reps can answer. Until then, the skepticism will remain. Freeze and Auburn may believe they’ve turned a corner, but in college football, belief means little without results. The 2025 season offers the chance to change the narrative—for better or worse.
