Hugh Freeze is heading into a crucial season at Auburn, and there’s no way around it—2025 needs to be a breakthrough year.
After two lackluster seasons, finishing 11-14 overall, Auburn has invested heavily in rebuilding through both recruiting and the transfer portal. With the No. 8 transfer portal class in the nation and back-to-back top-15 recruiting classes, the roster is stacked with talent, but the results on the field have to follow. If Auburn doesn’t hit at least 8-4 this year, the Freeze era may be in serious jeopardy.
Looking at Auburn’s 2025 schedule, the Tigers have no excuse for another mediocre season. Sure, matchups against Georgia, Texas A&M (away), and Alabama won't be easy, but outside of those three, there are plenty of winnable games.
Baylor, Ball State, South Alabama, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Mercer? Auburn should be expected to handle those opponents, given the resources poured into this team. Even Oklahoma is beatable if Freeze can finally prove he can coach a complete game in the SEC. If they can't at the very least go 8-1 against the list we've provided there, it will speak volumes against Freeze moving forward.
The biggest reason 8-4 should be the absolute floor is the work Freeze has done in the offseason. Auburn landed quarterback Jackson Arnold from Oklahoma, a massive upgrade at a position that has plagued them for years.
They also secured Ashton Daniels (Stanford) to bolster depth. The Tigers added key playmakers at wide receiver, including Eric Singleton Jr. (Georgia Tech) and Horatio Fields (Wake Forest), along with top-tier offensive tackles Xavier Chaplin (Virginia Tech) and Mason Murphy (USC). On defense, Auburn beefed up the pass rush with Chris Murray (Sam Houston) and upgraded the secondary with cornerback Raion Strader (Miami-OH), both first-team all-conference players last season.
Recruiting success is great, but at some point, it has to translate into wins. If Freeze can't deliver at least an 8-4 season with this roster and this schedule, it raises a serious question: If not now, when?
Auburn fans are tired of waiting. If Freeze can’t deliver a winning season in 2025, the program may have to start looking for someone who can.