National Analyst Picks Hugh Freeze Over Deion Sanders and 20 CFB Coaches after Shocking CBS Verdict

There’s no doubt Auburn fans are fuming at the latest 2025 CFB coach rankings. While the internet’s still trying to figure out how Deion Sanders jumped 28 spots on CBS Sports’ rankings, a national analyst just made a spicy take to raise more eyebrows. Because honestly, does Hugh Freeze deserve that fallback? 

If you check what cbssportscfb posted on Instagram on the 2025 CFB coach rankings, search as you might, you’re not going to find Hugh Freeze’s name. Why? Simple. Because he’s not included in the Top-40 list compiled by CBS Sports and 247Sports. He’s locked down at No. 47! That’s behind Deion Sanders, Billy Napier, Gregg Schiano, Manny Diaz, and lots more.

In an episode on May 22, Ryan Brown, co-host of The Next Round, went full contrarian mode. “If you’re talking about pure coaching, Hugh Freeze is a better coach than Lane Kiffin is,” he dropped the bold take. “Obviously not going to be in the bottom of this ranking. He’s going to be in the top 25.” Of course, Lane Kiffin sits at No. 12 in this ranking. And he didn’t stop there. 

Along with his co-host Lance Taylor, Ryan Brown rattled off names like Syracuse’s HC Fran Brown, who’s one spot ahead of him. From No. 46 down to Kalani Sitake’s No. 26 with coaches like Mike Elko, Shane Beamer, and PJ Fleck in between, the analysts still chose Hugh Freeze as a better coach. That is with just Matt Rhule as an exception, sitting at No. 32. But yeah, Freeze hasn’t exactly set the world on fire at Auburn. So these rankings aren’t baseless. 

And then came the ultimate question: Brown asked, “Deion Sanders at 33,” but Taylor still chose “Hugh Freeze” as his pick for the better coach.

Hugh Freeze is sitting on an 11-14 record over two seasons and got roasted by ESPN as a hot seat coach heading into 2025. Fair? Maybe. But he’s not trying to hide from the stakes. “I’m not a fool. I think we’ve got to go to a bowl game,” he previously said on The Next Round. And CBS is thinking along the lines of ESPN, and their rankings are proof. They dropped him 14 spots from last year. And yeah, that 5-11 SEC record isn’t doing him any favor. Add in the brutal 7-17 stretch going back to his Ole Miss days, and skepticism makes sense. But there could be a fresh beginning on the horizon. 

Hugh Freeze might be able to hang in there

Hugh Freeze may be getting torched on the paper, but the actual field might be telling a different story. As someone who knows the stakes, this man is recruiting aggressively. Back-to-back top 10 classes? Check. Bringing in former 5-star QB Jackson Arnold from the portal? Double check.

As Taylor pointed out, “Hugh Freeze is making noise in recruiting right now,” which is something Auburn fans should be pretty hyped about. 

And for all the flak he’s taking, let’s not forget, Hugh Freeze has missed a bowl game just twice in 12 FBS seasons. One of those was 2016 Ole Miss; the other was last year after falling 5-7. It’s not a trend. Maybe call it a blip. Compare that to Deion Sanders, who made a flashy jump on CBS’s rankings from No. 61 to No. 33 after a 9-4 season and a Heisman win for Travis Hunter.

But still, the analysts feel Freeze is more… stable. It’s bold and blunt but not totally off base. The 2025 season opener vs Baylor looms large on August 29. With a Vegas win total of 7.5, the table’s set for Hugh Freeze.