Pressure is on Auburn Tigers and Hugh Freeze According to The Athletic

Hugh Freeze fared well this offseason in recruiting, both in high school and the transfer portal. The  Auburn football head coach renovated the team, strengthening weaknesses and bolstering depth. The Tigers had the No. 7 recruiting and No. 8 transfer classes in college football according to 247Sports.

Freeze’s success in the offseason helped him get a third year on the Plains. Most Auburn coaches don’t survive one-losing season, and no coach since Doug Barfield in 1976 and ’77 has seen a third after consecutive losing seasons.

The program sank millions into recruiting, seeking a great athletic return. Freeze’s task remains simple: Not just win, but win big games as well. The Athletic’s Antonio Morales listed the Tigers as the team with the second-most pressure.

Morales said it was a surprise Freeze sat out quarterback race in the transfer portal after Payton Thorne’s first season, a mistake Freeze corrected this offseason. He overhauled the Tigers’ quarterback room including Jackson Arnold and quarterback-in-waiting Deuce Knight.

Offensive Overhaul

While the team doesn’t have the versatile skill set of Jarquez Hunter, they should improve behind center. On paper they also upgraded the offensive line with tackles Xavier Chaplin (Virginia Tech) and Mason Murphy (USC). Freeze needs to improve Auburn’s 71st-ranked scoring offense (27.8) and maybe more importantly, the 119th ranked turnover margin (-9).

A quarterback with mobility in front of Arnold will lead to increased scoring, led by a deep, talented wide receiver room. Moreover, Freeze earned a reputation as a quarterback guru, someone that can craft an offense around the strengths of a passer.

That reputation didn’t manifest into reality with Thorne.

Red Zone Troubles

On film, what also pained Auburn’s offense worse than just about any factor? Red zone inefficiency destroyed the team and derailed any momentum it took to get the ball matriculated down the field.

Freeze’s team finished 109th in the red zone efficiently. How does that happen with talent in the receiver room and a pass catching threat at tight end like Rivaldo Fairweather. Ranking dead last in field goal percentage (54.5%) didn’t help.

Those stalled drives ended threats and took the air out of the team.

Bottom Line

The millions of dollars spent by the school to shore up the football team requires a commensurate return on investment. Hugh Freeze needs to win instantly. That financial windfall requires double-digit wins and far better seasons.

If not, someone will enjoy the fruits of that investment. Patience isn’t what Auburn wants to display. Freeze has already benefited from more patience than any Auburn coach in nearly 50 years.

The transfer portal led talent to the Plains. The rest is up to Hugh Freeze.