Hugh Freeze Admits He Screwed Up Again

There are several reasons that the offense has failed to flourish since Freeze arrived at Auburn, but there is no reason to dive deeper than the quarterback position. The position has been a complete mess during the last 33 games and that is entirely on Freeze’s shoulders.

In the world of the transfer portal, a head coach doesn’t have to wait for a high school quarterback to mature. A head coach can pick and choose his next quarterback as if he is shopping for groceries. Freeze has shopped poorly, not once, but twice.

First was Payton Thorne, who after an average start to his collegiate career at Michigan State was brought in to lead the charge during Freeze’s first season. What resulted was a 6-7 season, a loss in the Music City Bowl and an offense that finished 92^nd in the country.

Instead of admitting defeat and bringing in a new transfer quarterback, Freeze decided to ride with Thorne again during the 2024 season. The result was a 5-7 season and no bowl game, which was only the second time since 2012 that the Tigers didn’t see the postseason.

2025 was going to be a quarterback blank slate for Auburn and Freeze. Thorne was out of eligibility so a new quarterback would be brought in via the portal. The program needed it, and Freeze needed it to try and calm an anxious fanbase. His answer was to sign Jackson Arnold.

Arnold was a top-level high school recruit but had been benched at Oklahoma last season. It was a unique choice for Freeze, considering his future very well may have been riding on his decision.

Yesterday, Freeze acknowledged that it once again was the wrong decision as he announced that Ashton Daniels, another transfer, would be starting on Saturday at home against Kentucky (2-5). The move was made after it became quite obvious that Arnold wasn’t the answer. No more proof is needed that Auburn’s passing offense currently sits at 116^th in the country.

Freeze is running out of opportunities, and it is all his fault. Now, his last gasp effort is Daniels, who has four games to try and save whatever credibility Freeze still has.