Hugh Freeze has more than enough on his plate to worry about. Auburn’s 2025 season (3-4) hasn’t gone how he’d have hoped. The only thing working for the head coach at the program is the progress he has made on the recruiting front despite back-to-back losing seasons. That saving grace is also under attack from his conference rivals now.

Auburn currently sits at the 27th position in the 2026 cycle. But recruiting is always going to be a cutthroat battle, and an SEC giant is now locking into two of the class’ best. LSU will be hosting Auburn commits Jase Mathews and Bralan Wommack for the Texas A&M game. They are the No. 1 receiver and safety of the cycle, according to Rivals. They are also a big reason why Freeze’s unit—which finished 8th in the 2025 cycle—is within the Top 30 now.

LSU had already been a favorite for Jase Mathews during his recruiting, but he ended up committing to Auburn instead. The Week 9 clash presents an interesting opportunity for the WR, since he had both LSU and Texas A&M in his favorites list. This game is now the perfect opportunity for him to see both in action. Mathews is ruled out for the 2025 season with an injury, but has a stellar record nonetheless. Last season, he hauled in 68 catches for 1,138 receiving yards and 15 TDs.

But LSU has renewed its push for Bralan Womack only recently. He has consistently grown throughout his prep career and has rightfully earned a 5-star and No. 1 ranking. Womack is the current Mississippi Gatorade Football Player of the Year. His senior season is still underway, building off of the 39 tackles and 8 interceptions recorded last year. Bralan Womack is an important player to watch for Freeze. He helped the recruiting class hold steady, which saw the losses of Immanuel Iheanacho and Cederian Morgan.

As the early signing period approaches, Brian Kelly is making a run for it. Kelly hosts the No. 10-ranked class at the moment. And if he’s able to score off these two 5-star targets, he sure is going to jump up some places. The season is the chance for recruits to truly gauge the environment and standards they’ll be playing for. Auburn’s troubling record is forcing recruits to look elsewhere, further threatening the security of Freeze’s job. Bralan Wommack publicly expressed his frustrations with Auburn, as they are yet to get a grip on the season.

Bralan Womack disappointed at Auburn’s performance this season

Auburn knew the level of work and competition that was going to come its way, given the schedule they were facing. It wasn’t going to be an easy ride, but the Tigers weren’t expected to be complete disappointments either. After Week 8, Hugh Freeze remains winless in the conference this season. Womack wasn’t pleased with Auburn’s display against Missouri and couldn’t help but attack the problems plaguing the results.

“You’ve got to capitalize on offense. All the teams that are successful right now in the college world are putting numbers on the scoreboard. We’re not doing it,” he said. After 4 conference games, Auburn has yet to put up 20 or more points. He later clarified that his commitment still lies with Auburn, but his father implied that the pledge seems to be a lost cause. “Just really not sure with what’s about to happen at Auburn,” BJ Womack told Rivals. “We (were not) trying to take more visits, but the reality of things (is) it’s a business,” he added. Womack is also on the flip watch for Colorado.

Losing the star power of a recruiting class is going to damage it beyond repair. Hugh Freeze, with a 3-4 record, has very little power to convince his 5-stars to stay. But recruits will always look for a place that helps them grow, and vice versa. And looking at the way Auburn is playing, it just doesn’t seem like a place to build a career in at the moment.