Hugh Freeze Reveals Unique Evaluation Tool for Auburn Football Recruiting

ATLANTA, Ga.- During SEC Media Days, Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze mentioned how he evaluates his players' psychological state via a personality test. It is a tool he uses to know exactly what the best coaching style is for all of his players, on a one-on-one level.

But he not only uses this test on his current players, he uses it when recruiting players out of the transfer portal to see if they are a good fit for his locker room. 

“We definitely try to do that [personality test] with portal kids because you’re speed dating; you have 24 hours to make a decision, and I like that test,” Freeze said at SEC Media Days. 

Freeze acknowledged that the difference between recruiting high school and transfer portal players is the amount of time available to build relationships.

“High school kids, it's not as important because you're going to have time when they get there, and you've had a window of a year or two that you kind of have an idea of knowing them,” said Freeze.

“We give them that option, if they'd like to, but portal kids we like to see that. It certainly has revealed to me some areas that I can certainly improve on in communication with particular types of players that are different.”

Oklahoma transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold was no different in this aspect, taking the personality test on the morning of his official visit. 

“I took mine on my official visit one random morning,” said Arnold. “I don't know if he used that as, like, a weeding out tool for the transfer portal, but obviously there's something about it he liked.

“I do like it for coaching. He wants to see what personalities fit him and his coaching style. And if that fit's not good, then don't grab that guy out of the portal. I completely understand him doing it.”

Defensive lineman Keldrick Faulk joined the team out of high school in Freeze’s first class at Auburn, but he didn’t skip out on the test. 

“Yeah, I took a personality test,” Faul said. “It was just to see what kind of person you are and really just to figure out a different way to approach you whenever something goes wrong.” 

It is an interesting evaluation method similar to tests that players are asked to take before the NFL Draft. Not every player is the same; everyone is their own unique individual. Hugh Freeze has obviously recognized this factor and tries to best help all of his players be coached on an individual level, rather than just having a coaching method that all players must adjust to.