What makes a team perform poorly? Is it the recruitment? Is it the coaching staff? Or is it the players who, despite all the hype, fail to deliver? Well, the answer is not that simple, and sometimes, in spite of having all these things, they still underperform and continue to struggle. The story of this team is quite similar in that respect, and despite making strides in all directions, it has ultimately failed to show the results. But it seems that its head coach is finally starting to make some very right calls that have the potential to change the team’s trajectory in 2025.

Well, it’s none other than coach Hugh Freeze‘s Auburn Tigers and their constant struggles for the past many seasons. For context, they finished their season at 5-7 in the 2022 season, then Bryan Harsin was the coach and was fired midway through the season. Then, in the 2023 season, when Hugh Freeze took charge, the team still looked the same old and finished at 6-7. But that’s an improvement, right?

Although that is undoubtedly an improvement on their previous season, but still not the finish Auburn fans would have wanted. Lastly came the 2024 season, where their woes continued to show as they wrapped up the season at 5-7, the third worst in the SEC. So, what went wrong for Coach Freeze?

Well, there are numerous places where Coach Freeze’s judgment was questioned by the media and Auburn’s fans. But, the dark clouds were all over Jordan Hare Stadium throughout the season. For instance, their receiving plays were just awful. To put things into perspective, they haven’t had a 1,000-yard receiver for almost 25 years. Add to that their loss to Vanderbilt, which presented glaring issues, and it’s almost no secret now that Freeze has been unable to control Diego Pavia, who had a very good game against them.

Freeze after Auburn’s loss in Iron Bowl provided some words of introspection for the season, “Disappointing to end the season as we did. There’s a lot to build on, for sure, with those young guys and hopefully the class we can sign next week“. And, without any doubt, the recruitment is something Freeze has unexpectedly managed to ace in his tenure at Auburn. That is evident from their roster additions in the class of 2025. So, let’s see what Freeze is ultimately up to.

Auburn’s 2025 recruiting exploits

Well, Hugh Freeze has so far made 26 additions to his freshman roster and 16 additions through the transfer portal. His recruitment exploits are quite impressive, considering his team is ranked 5th overall in the nation in recruitment (per On3). The roster also boasts some very good prospects amongst 5 Star Quarterback Deuce Knight, 4 Star DL Malik Autry, Edge Rusher Jared Smith, Safety Anquon Fegans, and Linebacker Derick Smith. All of which have officially signed for the college. But Freeze’s transfer additions are a treat too…

Auburn has signed the former Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold, former LSU linebacker Xavier Atkins, and former Sam Houston State DL Chris Murray. For context, these players have the potential to provide that edge in the team that was missing in previous years. For instance, Jackson Arnold, the sophomore QB, recorded a 62.6 percent pass completion rate for Oklahoma in the 2024 season, with 1,421 yards gained in total. And, Auburn also desperately needed a good QB on their roster too.

This is because Payton Thorne has moved to the NFL after his last season as a senior with Auburn. And, now, after his departure, the team desperately needed a Quarterback to fill his shoes. And, with Arnold, the team can ultimately fill the vacant gap. So, what’s next? Well, the team, in conclusion, is looking good for 2025 and also has been ranked at rank 20 in 247’s way too early rankings. Now, the question is whether Freeze can turn his recruitment genius into on-field success.