Yardbarker
x
What Hugh Freeze Likes About Auburn's DL Rotation
Auburn Tigers true freshman Jourdin Crawford is expected to have a contributing role on the defensive line rotation. Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

What Hugh Freeze Likes About Auburn's DL Rotation

Originally posted on Auburn Tigers on SI  |  By Brooks Crew  |  Last updated Aug 21, 2025 5:19 PM ET

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze seems not to enjoy having shallow personnel– after all, he’s already famously bolstered his quarterback, receiver, and linebacker rooms. However, he’s confident in another deep group of unsung heroes: his defensive line.

“I know that they read and they listen,” Freeze said in his press conference on Monday. “I’m hopeful. DJ (Durkin) and his staff have done a really nice job at this point getting those guys to buy into that there is strength in numbers.”

Freeze’s emphasis this year most certainly appears to be getting as many different players snaps on both sides of the ball as he can, likely in an effort to reduce exhaustion and wear and tear, all while getting more scouts’ eyes on more of his players.

“I’ve never had an NFL scout, not one, ask me how many snaps somebody played,” Freeze pointed out. “It’s about what you do with the ones you have.”

And boy, are there players to rotate. Florida A&M Transfer James Ash may just be the most overlooked player on the Tigers’ defensive roster, and he’s a fourth stringer according to Auburn's projected depth chart.

Notable names abound on the Tigers’ defensive front, and though Malik Blocton and Bobby Jamison-Travis lead off the roster as the official “starters,” Freeze seems to have high expectations for his backups, including true freshmen Jourdin Crawford and Malik Autry, as well as well-established players like transfer seniors Jay Hardy and Dallas Walker IV.

Similar to his linebacker room, to which Freeze stated that he “doesn’t know the difference" between starters and backups, Freeze said that the Auburn defensive line rotates in and out at breakneck speeds, with it often being difficult to tell which players are the starters and which are the backups.

“I have no idea which two are coming out in the first team period,” Freeze admitted. “It’s just a constant rotation of those guys inside. I’m just hopeful that we can continue to capture them with that mindset of ‘I don’t know how many I’m getting, but the ones that I do get I’m going to do with at a high, high motor, great execution, and assignment is correct.”

If this scheme works, Freeze will earn significant praise in what could be a complete turnaround for the program in 2025. If not, questions will continue to be raised about his direction of the program after back-to-back losing seasons to begin his tenure.

More From Auburn Tigers on SI


This article first appeared on Auburn Tigers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.