Hugh Freeze checks in as No. 9 head coach in the SEC according to the Tennessean

AUBURN, ALABAMA – NOVEMBER 18: Head coach Hugh Freeze of the Auburn Tigers calls out to his players during the second half of their game against the New Mexico State Aggies at Jordan-Hare Stadium on November 18, 2023 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)

With the post Nick Saban era of SEC football set to get underway in just under three weeks, the Tennessean released their ranking of the top coaches in the conference. In it, analyst Blake Toppmeyer unsurpsingly ranked Georgia head coach Kirby Smart as the new top dog in the SEC, followed by LSU’s Brian Kelly at number two.

It is not until No. 9 that Toppmeyer begins bringing up Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]. As for his reasoning, Toppmeyer explains, “no one should question Freeze’s X’s and O’s or ability to call an offense, but it’s unclear whether he’s built for this era of NIL and transfers… What Freeze needs most is a star quarterback, which he’s so far failed to secure.”

The critique regarding Freeze’s ability to find a star quarterback is undeniably warranted. In his first season plus on the Plains, Auburn’s head coach has brought in transfer, and current starter, [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], four-star freshman Walker White, and a contingent of underwhelming signal callers. While Thorne has been inconsistent under center, he always felt like a stop-gap for Freeze while he worked towards recruiting a quarterback to fit his system.

Toopmeyer’s analysis of the ability of Auburn’s head coach to survive in the NIL era is questionable, however, especially after the summer Freeze and his staff are having on the recruiting trail. The Tigers currently hold a top-six 2025 recruiting class to go along with the top 2026 class in the country. That doesn’t account for the top-10 class Freeze hauled in 2024 which…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/hugh-freeze-checks-no-9-190040256.html

Author : Auburn Wire

Publish date : 2024-08-07 19:00:40

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