Hugh Freeze's Strong Leadership Endorsement For Auburn Star Lineman

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jay Postrado | Last updated May 21, 2025 12:20 PM ET

There was not much to brag about when the Auburn Tigers ended their 2024 campaign with just five wins and seven losses. They could not even bring themselves to a bowl game with how badly the season went. Now, Coach Hugh Freeze's players know better as they all aim to get back to College Football Playoff contention.

A lot of the Auburn squad were young guns throughout Coach Hugh Freeze's first two years with the Tigers. As the losses piled up, so did their experiences and veteran acumen. There's no greater example of this than Connor Lew.

The Auburn football head honcho thinks that the lineman is now more than ready to take on a leadership role on his squad, via Jerry Humphrey III of AL.com.

“The leadership of the team I feel, did a good job, whether it's Connor Lew or Jeremiah Wright offensively. I think those guys took charge initially until guys like Jackson Arnold came in," Freeze said.

Lew is now entering his third season with Auburn. He has played 23 games under Coach Freeze and is continuously striving to get better. In his first year, he saw the Tigers reach the Music City Bowl before losing to the Maryland Terrapins. Last season, everyone struggled as the team could not keep up with the intensity of the SEC.

Jackson Arnold is going to need guys who will keep the pocket from collapsing. With all of the learnings he has soaked up through heartbreaks, Lew could be the lineman that the quarterback needs to pop off.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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