Hugh Freeze's tenure at Auburn hasn't come close to the expectations that the fanbase had when they hired him. Through two seasons, Hugh Freeze is yet to post a record above .500, and after a 6-7 season, the Tigers slipped to 5-7 missing out on a Bowl Game. Heading into his third season at Auburn, Hugh Freeze is on one of the hottest seats of any coach in College Football.
When Auburn fans always looked for a reason to give Hugh Freeze a longer leash, the fanbase kept coming back to one point. Hugh Freeze has always been known as one of the best recruiters in the country, consistently, regardless of his location. When Hugh Freeze took the Auburn job, he was given the tough task of recruiting against Nick Saban in the same state.
As Nick Saban retired and a first time SEC coach in Kalen DeBoer took the Alabama job, Auburn fans expected that the Tigers could start to dominate the state. As Auburn signed 9 of the State's top 15 players to Alabama's 0, Auburn fans thought it was the start of a dominant run for Hugh Freeze.
While Hugh Freeze is on the hot seat, the recruiting success isn't happening like it once was for the Tigers. The Tigers recruiting class currently ranks 59th in the Country and 15th in the SEC with just 7 commitments far underperforming the expectations.
The troubling part for Hugh Freeze is the fact that Kalen DeBoer is currently dominating In-State recruiting. On Thursday, Kalen DeBoer got one of his biggest recruiting wins yet, beating out Auburn for 5-star In-State running back Ezavier Crowell.
BREAKING: Five-Star RB Ezavier “EJ” Crowell has Committed to Alabama, he tells me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 26, 2025
The 6’0 215 RB from Jackson, AL chose the Crimson Tide over Texas, Auburn, & Georgia
“Free my daddy🐘”https://t.co/MF2r1rquv4 pic.twitter.com/cbP8E3G0qW
As some of the Nation's best recruits near their commitment dates, things may only get worse for Hugh Freeze. The Crimson Tide are currently expected to land the other two 5-stars in Alabama in WR Cederian Morgan and Anthony Jones. As Kalen DeBoer continues to rack up massive commitments, Hugh Freeze holds a commitment from just one of the State's Top-15 players.
If Hugh Freeze is going to save his job at Auburn, it'll have to start with putting together an impressive season on the field. It's much harder for the program to sell itself to recruits when they've seen losing season after losing season. In addition to the pressure to win on the field, Hugh Freeze may not have the recruiting success to fall back on if he underwhelms once again.