Hugh Freeze takes clear stance on $2.8 billion House settlement’s impact on Auburn’s recruiting

The Auburn Tigers have significant ground to make up on the recruiting trail as head coach Hugh Freeze and his staff adapt to the new era following the House settlement.

Freeze, entering his third season at the helm, is coming off back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes. It didn't take long for the former Ole Miss and Liberty head coach to find his footing in that aspect.

However, the 2026 cycle has not been so kind to the Tigers thus far.

With schools able to allocate $20.5 million directly to players this year – thanks to the $2.8 billion House settlement – Auburn has fallen behind considerably.

“It's quite different," Freeze said Wednesday. "First of all, you want to make sure you are operating with what the settlement says, and we think we are. We're going by what we believe to be the accurate interpretation of it. It's not really to our advantage to what we're doing right now, but because others, I think, are operating in a different manner."

The Tigers lost three four-star commits in June, including flips to Georgia and Florida State, respectively, dropping Auburn to last in the SEC and 89th nationally (247Sports) with only six commitments.

"But the main thing is that I don't think people understand is retaining your current roster," Freeze said. "And that affects, it used to not affect high school recruiting. You were going to sign your 20 to 25 guys. But now with the salary cap, you have to look at a room like our wide receiver room where, on paper, we're not losing a single kid. And we got to retain those guys because I like that room a whole lot."

Freeze and Co. appear to be putting the most stock in keeping their best players in the fold. But that is a challenge that every program is facing, including those who have been dominant in the 2026 cycle like USC, Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State and Notre Dame.

"You're sitting here trying to sign a class when you really don't know what your current roster will be in January," Freeze said. "And so that's a challenge, but you have to operate within the the manner of what the settlement really says and the interpretation that we've received. And that's what we're doing."

Despite the missteps, Freeze is confident that Auburn can finish with a third consecutive top-10 class. That challenge will likely be tough to overcome with the 2025 season quickly approaching.

"We're talking about a staff that's put together two top 10 classes," he said. "And and here we are, you know, we're really not in that realm right now. Do I think we will be in December? I do. I believe that wholeheartedly."