Sometimes when things start falling apart, the smartest move is to hit up someone who already knows your chaos. You know, that one guy who’s seen the behind-the-scenes mess, knows exactly how you operate and still picks up the phone anyway. Why roll the dice with someone new when you’ve got a trusted name in your contacts? Ever heard of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”? Well, what if it is broke? Then you bring back someone who knows how to fix it.

Now, imagine your team’s recruiting is falling apart, the head coach is catching is under fire for spending more time on the golf course than fixing the issues, and fans are starting to lose patience, showing their frustration on social meda . Sound familiar? Of course it does. And when that kind of pressure builds, you either ride it out or make a move that tells everyone, “Yeah, we know it looks bad, but we’ve got a plan.” Well, one SEC team just made that move. And it’s one that could turn a few heads.

Auburn Tigers’ latest front office shake-up hints that the program and head coach Hugh Freeze are getting serious about fixing their 2026 recruiting struggles. The Tigers are set to sign Arkansas director of player personnel Jovon Hubbard into a top front office role. This is no random hire; it’s actually a reunion, as Hubbard and Freeze go way back from their days together at Liberty.

But why does this matter? Well, Hugh Freeze has been under serious criticism recently. Auburn’s 2026 recruiting cycle has been rough, currently sitting around 75th in the 247Sports rankings with only 11 commits so far. Freeze has been coaching the program since 2023, and let’s be honest, the numbers aren’t very satisfying. Freeze’s first season as the Tigers’ HC ended with a 6-7 record, and things got only worse in the second year with a 5-7 finish.

So, things are definitely not great for him. He’s surely hoping to land some talented recruits to boost those numbers in the coming years. And bringing Hubbard in is a smart move. He’s got SEC front-office experience and was a key piece at Arkansas before making the jump. Now, as Auburn’s assistant general manager of football, he’ll be under Will Redmond’s wing, helping Freeze shore up the recruiting crunch. However, he recently addressed the recruiting situation of the program and talked about what are their actual plans.

Coach Hugh Freeze explains his approach to recruiting woes

Alright, to be fair, the 2026 class isn’t completely falling apart. There are still a few bright spots that fans can hang their hopes on. Four-star edge rusher Hezekiah Harris is legit, he’s the kind of dude you build a defense around. Then you’ve got three-star linebacker Adam Balogoun-Ali and the super versatile four-star athlete Peyton Falzone. Not a bad trio to start with, honestly.

But yeah, it’s also been a bit of a mess. Auburn’s taken some tough punches on the trail. Shadarius Toodle flipped to Georgia, Devin Carter went with Florida State, Denairius Gray chose Kentucky, and linebacker JaMichael Garrett? He straight-up decommitted. Not great. It’s been the kind of cycle where every step forward feels like two steps back, and you can clearly see why fans are on edge.

However, Hugh Freeze isn’t ignoring it though. On a recent episode of See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack, HC Hugh Freeze addressed the situation, saying, “I think it’s a long game play for us that I think is gonna work out in our favor, because we’re doing it very transparent in the way we believe the settlement is written to operate, if that makes any sense,” he said. It’s good that he is looking for a long run but we know how things run in college football. But Freeze is no ameteur, he obviously knowns what’s good for the progream.

At this point, Auburn fans desparately want to see that picture come together. The hire of Hubbard shows they’re serious about fixing the issues, not just riding it out. Now, let’s see if this long game Freeze is betting on actually pays off before it’s too late.