With an 8th-ranked recruiting class in the 2025 cycle, Hugh Freeze again has proven his might in the recruitment. Hugh Freeze had pulled off the same level of recruitment with the same ranking in the previous cycle. The only problem is his on-field results, having gone 5-7 last year and 6-7 a year before that. So, in that context, the 2025 season will make or break his case. But before that happens, he has a crucial week to tackle.

Till now, the head coach has roped in 7 commits for his 2026 class. These include 4-star prospects like Hezekiah Harris (Edge), Devin Carter (WR), Shadarius Toodle (LB), and Denairius Gray (WR). But notice how Hugh Freeze till now has failed to land a five-star commit, which makes the class a bit weak for now. However, this weekend has the potential to change that. Since Auburn is not hosting one, not two, but three 5-star prospects.

As per On3 recruits’ X account, Auburn will host three 5-star prospects this weekend, and thus, sealing the commitment of any one of them will be ground-breaking. The prospects are 5-star Cederian Morgan (WR), 5-star safety Bralan Womack, and Ezavier Crowell (RB). Apart from them, the Tigers will also be hosting a 4-star QB, Landon Duckworth, whose commitment will be crucial for the team. But what are the chances of Hugh Freeze landing any one of them?

Cederian Morgan, the 6’4″ and 220 lbs wide receiver, is ranked 2nd in his position nationally and hails from Alexander City, Alabama. So, his Alabama connection currently favors him towards committing to Kalen DeBoer. But Auburn is still in close second. And Jason Caldwell of 247 Sports also predicts the guy to land in Auburn, which is huge. As for his visits, the guy has visited Auburn 6 times with only Alabama beating them with 7 visits, and thus, chances are there for Auburn to land the guy. Then come the other 5-star prospects.

Bralan Womack is also an incredibly talented safety who is the first-ranked player in his position in the country. Standing at 5’11.5″, he is a native of Flowood, Mississippi, and is heavily leaning towards Ohio State. But Auburn still has a chance to swoop him as they are leading second in his recruitment, led by TJ Rushing. As for Ezavier Crowell, who is the 4th-ranked RB in the nation, he is currently trending towards Alabama with Auburn leading second again.

Jackson Arnold’s woes come back to haunt Hugh Freeze?

We all know that the 2025 season is crucial for Hugh Freeze, and the head coach has done incredibly well to make sure that the obstacles of the past don’t come back. He has brought in Jackson Arnold from Oklahoma and brought in one of the best OT in college football right now, Xavier Chaplin from Virginia Tech. Then there is Eric Singleton Jr, coming from Georgia Tech, bolstering the receiving corps. These additions guarantee an improvement, right?

“This equation makes me a touch nervous. The reason why it makes me nervous is because last year for Auburn, what was the big issue? Turnovers…Auburn had trouble hanging on to the football. And so, you add in now a quarterback in Jackson Arnold, who, again, [is] very talented. But what’s his issue? Turnovers, fumbles, interceptions! So, I don’t love the way that whole thing goes together,” said ON3’s J.D. PicKell.

Playing for Oklahoma last year, Jackson Arnold fumbled the ball three times as the team lost to Missouri. Then there were games where he threw costly interceptions and executed inconsistent plays. Although he did throw for 1,421 passing yards and also rushed for 444 yards, those issues are still a critical concern. And hence, the harsh take. Yet, Arnold’s resurgence can also be on the cards as he still showed some flashes of brilliance that made Hugh Freeze get him from the portal.