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Auburn football is at a crossroads this summer, and fans are getting restless. The worry isn’t just typical offseason anxiety – there are legitimate reasons for concern about Hugh Freeze’s program.
Let’s be real: Auburn’s recruiting has been ice cold. With just 10 verbal commitments, their 2026 class currently ranks a dismal 75th in the 247Sports Team Composite Recruiting Rankings. That’s not just behind other SEC programs — they’re trailing Colorado State, Fresno State, and Memphis. Ouch.
Combine the recruiting struggles with missing a bowl game in 2024, and Tiger fans are rightfully concerned about the direction of the program.
But Auburn AD John Cohen is standing firmly behind his coach.
“I’m gonna be really blunt with you,” Cohen told AL.com. “I rode up here in a car with Hugh Freeze and he had seven recruiting calls in those two hours. And many of the recruiting calls were kids calling him. One of the things I really admire about our football coach is there are many coaches out there, many who hand off recruiting to other people on their staff. Hugh Freeze is not one of them.”
The golf issue isn’t helping matters.
Auburn fans have zeroed in on Freeze’s time on the links after AL.com reported that he’s logged nearly a dozen rounds in the USGA’s Golf Handicap Information Network database this summer — more than four other SEC coaches with public handicap records. For a program struggling to gain momentum, the optics aren’t great.
The topic became unavoidable at SEC Media Days.
Freeze even fielded swing advice requests from an SEC Network panel while also facing questions about his golfing habits during his formal media session. But Cohen insists Freeze is still grinding on recruiting, even between tee shots.
“And just for your own information,” Cohen added, “I’ve been on a golf course with Hugh Freeze when a kid called or he called the kid and had a 30-minute conversation with him while he was playing golf.”
Give Freeze credit — he’s not lowering expectations despite the pressure.
During his opening statement on Day 2 of SEC Media Days, Freeze actually raised the bar higher than most would expect from a program coming off a bowl-less season.
“I truly believe that in the playoff run, we’re going to be in this discussion because I love this team,” Freeze said. “We’ve got to stay healthy and we need the ball to bounce our way a couple times this year instead of against us I’m sure, but that’s our full expectation. We embrace the fact that Auburn should be in those talks year in and year out.”
The clock is ticking.
