Well, the image Hugh Freeze has created for himself at Auburn isn’t very appealing. Paul Finebaum’s comment might give you a good idea. “I wonder if Auburn wasn’t sold a bill of goods on (Freeze). If you take away those wins against Nick Saban, what exactly has Hugh Freeze accomplished as a football coach?” While Freeze has managed to pull in a top 10 recruiting class for the last two years, that alone won’t be enough. His job this year truly rests on two pillars—not just strong recruiting, but converting those portal wins into wins on the field.

Rumors about Freeze possibly stepping down arose because the 55-year-old, originally from Oxford, Mississippi, golfed 10 out of the first 20 days of June while the program faced significant changes and player departures. However, these rumors were later confirmed as “completely false” and “dumb” after the head coach’s personal friend, Brian Stultz, tweeted about them. Now that he’s staying at Auburn for another year, what’s the ceiling for Freeze and the team?

On The Next Round podcast’s June 23rd episode, Lance Taylor shared how doing the bare minimum will not be enough for Freeze. “I still think Hugh Freeze is a good coach, but if you’re sitting there at the end of the year with 6-6, 7-5, I don’t really know what they do at this point.”

Here comes the bitter truth: the Tigers’ fandom must have run out of patience. Freeze’s squad hasn’t won more than six games since 2019 and is on a losing streak for the fourth straight year. That’s when Ryan Brown fanned the heat. “Yeah, but even at 6-6, 7-5, if you’ve got a top-five recruiting class, I don’t know if that’s enough to sell to the fan base in terms of Hugh Freeze. Now, in terms of the future of the program, obviously that would help; that’d be good players if you could hold on to it with a coaching change coming in.”

So, long story short, the analyst believes that Freeze does not have the talent to make use of a top 5 recruiting class. Brown continued. “Hugh Freeze has to sell now like he has been selling the future for two years now. And if you’re at the end of year three, as you said, with another 7-5, oh, but we got the top five recruiting class. I don’t know if Auburn fans are going to buy that one.” While their No. 8 recruiting classes for 2024 and 2025 should have eased the pressure, Freeze’s seat is actually getting hotter. The 2025 class includes five-star defensive linemen Jared Smith and Malik Autry, plus other top prospects. Can these highly rated players turn their potential into real stats and wins for the Tigers?

Meanwhile, Jim Dunaway tried to focus on the positives: “Yeah, but 7-5 is a two-win improvement.” But Brown had stuck to his point, intending that selling a 7-5 season with a top recruiting class wouldn’t be a cakewalk. Most sportsbooks have Freeze’s Auburn with a 7.5 win total for 2025, with ESPN’s Football Power Index giving the Tigers just a 1.8% chance of winning the SEC. But sometimes certain things are not in Freeze’s hands. 

Hugh Freeze knows what is at stake

For instance, the mass exodus of the Tigers has sent an atmosphere of panic into Freeze’s squad. They lost linebacker Shadarius Toodle to the Georgia Bulldogs and wide receiver Devin Carter to the Florida State Seminoles. That’s when Athlon Sports’ Jordan Merritt shared his take on the effect of players who fell like dominoes. “Hugh Freeze and his staff will need to regroup, with just five commits in the 2026 class. It adds even more heat to the head coach, who is heading into the 2025 college football season on the hot seat.”

The last season has been a painful journey for the Tigers. Thanks to their quarterback, Payton Thorne. He had a tough time protecting the pigskin and turned it over nine times with eight interceptions and one lost fumble. Recovering from such a season and with September holding face-offs like Ball State, South Alabama, and Oklahoma, Freeze needs to keep his bar high. 

According to Sultz, Auburn must reel in eight wins and a bowl game to call it a successful season. Only by doing so can they erase their dark past of a disappointing five-win season in 2024. “For Freeze, holding serve at home while winning half of the road games would be an excellent way to build some momentum. Not many expect the Tigers to compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff this season, but it’s essential that the win total for the Tigers is closer to 10 than to five.”

Looks like Freeze also approves of this redemption journey. “I’m not a fool. I think we have to go to a bowl game…We could have won more games last year. And we’ve got to make sure we’re excellent in those areas that cost us.” Auburn fans may start believing in Freeze again—if he backs his words with a winning season.