In a lot of football circles, people are split on whether Hugh Freeze’s second season with Auburn was a success or a flop. The Tigers had some chances to win games, especially against teams like Cal, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, where they lost three of them by just a single score. And who could forget that Missouri game, where they blew a 14-point lead in the third quarter? With an overall record of 5-7 and only 2 wins against SEC teams, it’s hard to call the season a win. After two years, Freeze still hasn’t hit his stride, and his third season could bring some tough times. It looks like the head coach knows the heat is on.

The major issue last year was the quarterback room with Payton Thorne as its starter. The QB failed to turn up on major occasions like the one against Cal and in the game against Arkansas. The head coach even pondered a change with just 4 games remaining. “When you start thinking big picture, as opposed to one of your players (Payton Thorne) that really hasn’t done anything wrong, but we certainly aren’t winning. And so we’re debating all of that this week.” But he ultimately stuck to Thorne, who at least passed for 301 yards against Texas A&M and won the game in overtime. So, with two consecutive losing seasons, what can be the realistic goal for Auburn in 2025?

Well, in a recent video posted on May 16th on X, the head coach talks about the ‘Bowl game’ being the ultimate target for Auburn and also accepts the pressure surrounding him. “I’m not a fool. I think we’ve got to go to the bowl game. I think our administration understands; look, I inherited a program that didn’t have a top-25 recruiting class for four years… We’ve now had two full recruiting classes. Both top 10. I think one more, and then your roster looks complete. But I’m still not naive.” To be honest, recruiting at Auburn has been quite impressive for Hugh Freeze.

Hugh Freeze has put together two solid recruiting classes, both ranking 8th nationally. The 2024 class features some big names, including 5-star wide receiver Cam Coleman, along with talented guys like Perry Thompson (WR) and Amari Williams (Edge rusher). Now, the 2025 class is looking pretty impressive, too. They’ve got their star player, Deuce Knight, who’s the 5th-ranked QB. Plus, there are some great transfers coming in, like linebacker Xavier Atkins and Virginia Tech offensive tackle Xavier Chaplin. But let’s not forget about Jackson Arnold, who definitely has something to prove. Hugh Freeze is encouraging Arnold and the rest of the team to have that same mindset as they move forward.

“We could have won some games last year. And we’ve got to find a way to make sure we’re excellent. In those areas that cost us those. They should put us in a position to be at least bowl-eligible, if not more, and I see no reason why we shouldn’t do that, and I think that’s an expectation that our people should expect.” In terms of the schedule, bowl eligibility may not be too difficult to achieve with some motivation.

The team faces Oklahoma on the road in their 4th game, goes to Texas A&M in the 5th, and then will come back to face Georgia in Jordan-Hare Stadium in their 6th game. These three games and the one against Alabama in November will decide the fate of the program in the 2025 season.

Although they still have to be wary of teams like Vanderbilt, Arkansas, and Missouri. Overall, if they can win at least 4 of these games and can come out trumps in the rest of their games, Bowl eligibility will be a cakewalk, and that too with a winning season. They have the ingredients to do that with their high-profile recruitment and Jackson Arnold at the helm, they just need to take the next step.

Hugh Freeze clears the dilemma around the QB1 spot

The quarterback debacles last year haunted Hugh Freeze, and he did everything to avoid doing the same thing this season. For that, the head coach brought in Jackson Arnold, who completed 1,421 yards and 444 rushing yards. Similarly, the head coach brought in another QB, Ashton Daniels from Stanford, who had a 2,300-yard season in 2024. Add to that the talent Deuce Knight brings to Auburn, and you just got a QB room brimming with talent. But the problem was, who would be the starter?

Hugh Freeze, with his recent statement, has come out with a definite QB to be the QB1. “I said this somewhere here recently: Jackson is the number one,” Hugh Freeze said. Later, the head coach also provided the whole dynamic of the QB room. “Do I want him (Jackson Arnold) to be pushed by Deuce and Ashton every single day? Absolutely. Do I want Jackson feeling like it’s his and him getting that confidence and swagger? Yes. Do I want him looking over his shoulder thinking, ‘Dang, Deuce and Ashton had two really good practices today’? Yes, I want both.”

Hugh Freeze’s message is simple: he doesn’t want last year’s horrors to repeat, and hence the bolstering of the QB room. Jackson Arnold has that talent to back his season with an incredible performance and with 2 more QBs breathing down his neck? Well, he will have to be on his toes in every game and bring out his top performances week after week.