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Does Auburn have a star wide receiver in the program? Published: Feb. 16, 2023, 3:54 p.m. 3–4 minutes Auburn wide receiver Koy Moore catches a pass against Alabama during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP By Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com We’re taking a look at each position group as Auburn prepares to open spring practice on Feb. 27. The third of an 11-part series looks at the wide receivers. Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze, offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery, and wide receiver coach Marcus Davis hope the Tigers’ next great receiver is ready to emerge this season. Davis knows the value of being a talented pass catcher on the Plains. He played from 2013-16 and was part of teams that won Southeastern Conference titles and an appearance in the National Championship Game. The run game will always be a priority at Auburn. However, complimentary football requires receivers that can open up running lanes by requiring double teams. Koy Moore, Tar’Varish Dawson, Landen King, Omari Kelly, Malcolm Johnson Jr, Jay Fair, Ja’Varrius Johnson, and Camden Brown are returning from last season. Each player caught at least one pass and is seeking more targets. Projected Depth Chart: Starters: Camden Brown, sophomore, Koy Moore, junior. Ja’Varrius Johnson redshirt senior. Nick Mardner, redshirt senior Second string: Landen King, redshirt sophomore; Malcolm Johnson Jr., senior. Tar’Varish Dawson Jr., redshirt sophomore Third String: Daquayvious Sorey, true freshman. Omari Kelly, sophomore, Jay Fair sophomore. Departed: Shedrick Jackson, graduation. Dazalin Worsham transfer portal Outlook: Nick Mardner put up big-time numbers as a receiver playing at Hawaii with new Tigers receivers coach Marcus Davis as his position coach. He posted 913 yards, 46 catches, and five touchdowns during the 2021 season working with Davis. If Mardner and Davis can recapture that magic, that would go a long way toward Auburn getting back to winning. Auburn has several talented receivers. Koy Moore is a speedy and intelligent route runner. He posted 314 yards on 20 catches for the Tigers last season. Look to seeing him get more catches this fall. Landen King has unique physical skills, and if he can stay healthy, he could be a legit contributor. Malcolm Johnson, Dawson, and Ja’Varrius Johnson are stalwarts of the program and will guide younger receivers. Also, Ja’Varrius has 45 receptions for 767 yards and five touchdowns over the last two seasons. Auburn needs one of two of these receivers to elevate as deep threats for whoever wins the quarterback competition this spring. Also, don’t be surprised if the Tigers look toward the transfer portal once spring football ends.

Hugh Freeze on playing Georgia and Alabama: 'The expectation is we're walking out there to win it' Lance Dawe ~4 minutes In time, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze hopes the Tigers are competing on the same level as their archrivals. The Auburn Tigers have work to do if they want to get back into contention in the SEC. With a new coaching staff, a fresh perspective on the recruiting trail, and an exciting transfer portal class to work with, fans and media alike are both curious and optimistic about what role the Tigers could play in the league this season. Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze recently joined The War Rapport to discuss his transition to the Plains and how recruiting has been a point of emphasis for the staff. Mike Gittens of TWR asked Freeze about what his approach is going to be facing off against Georgia and Alabama - Auburn's two archrivals and faces of not just the SEC, but of college football. Freeze acknowledged the two programs' degree of success and the stretch between them and the rest of the league. "There's basically been two gold standards in this league, and it's Alabama and Georgia," Freeze said. "The rest of us are at different levels, I would say probably LSU and Tennessee closed the gap some this year [...] the rest of us are trying to play catch up." It's a proverbial grand canyon between the Bulldogs and Tide compared to everyone else, but Freeze came to Auburn to elevate the standards of their program and to one day compete evenly with them on the field. It's not something to shy away from. It's an opportunity. "We will never back down from saying we want an opportunity at the gold standard, and fortunately - or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it - we've got a shot at both of them every year," Freeze said. "What a great opportunity that is. We have an opportunity to judge ourselves against what has been the gold standard of college football for a long time in Alabama's case, and more recently in Georgia's case." These aren't just matchups against the best in the SEC. Auburn's games with Alabama and Georgia every season have deeper meaning than words can convey. All three of these teams could be winless otherwise, but if the Iron Bowl or the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry is happening in Jordan-Hare, fans don't care about anything else. All they want is to beat Bama and Georgia. "...Those games are different," Freeze said. "And they should feel a little different, and that's okay. Obviously on the win-loss record they all count the same, but it doesn't in the people's eyes that live here. [...] I know how much that means to our people, and our fanbase, and we're excited to play in that game." The standard doesn't stop at excitement or accepting a challenge. There's expectations that come with raising the standard up, and Coach Freeze knows that over time, those expectations begin to rise. "Hopefully in time, I don't know how fast, but hopefully in time the expectation is that we're walking out there to win it."

so you are saying he is cheating? you think with all eyes on him he is already breaking the rules? ok stretch armstrong. and with our compliance guy? come on off the ledge carnell you always seemed like a great guy. lets see if someone can come up with an explanation because i do not see it.

and how is this wrong? NIL is legal right? i do not understand.

ok i always thought golf played at auburn and just keeps his real name private. now he said bo jackson was scared of him so why is he not on the list or at least get honorable mention? hell maybe he played golf but i thought he played football as well. i am sure someone will correct me.

i wish this could be pinned until sec days are over. thanx for posting.

they say the sand box was not for the temid. i heard of players doing one on ones until they puked and played in it. when i remember all that i think it is safe to say in my old geezer eyes all our young men are badass.

theplainsman.com Tigers reclaim the Jungle with dominant performance over Missouri - The Auburn Plainsman 5–6 minutes After losing to in-state rival Alabama, the Tigers looked to bounce back with a win over the Missouri Tigers. Head coach Bruce Pearl mentioned that this game would be a crucial win for Auburn, and his Tigers accepted that challenge, winning 89-56 in dominant fashion. “I don’t like talking about a ‘must-win”...I wanted my guys to understand that. They did,” said Pearl. “I was really proud of the guys because they’ve worked so hard the past couple of weeks – we’ve played better with no reward.” Auburn came out swinging, claiming an early lead over Missouri. By the end of the game, the Tigers held Mizzou to 56 points. “If we hold teams to under 73 points, we’re 14-1,” said Pearl. “So we said, ‘Can we hold Missouri to under 73? If we do, we’ll win the game.’ It’s not often that you can give your guys a guarantee like that.” In terms of performance, this game was a huge win for Auburn. The Tigers set a season-high for three-point shooting, going 9-of-18 (50%), and for rebounding, with 48 total. Auburn also jumped eight spots to No. 18 in national KenPom rankings, which helps the program’s outlook for the NCAA Tournament. “This helps, but we’ve still got work to do,” Pearl said. Johni Broome led the team with 20 points: eight field goals, four free throws, and two assists. Allen Flanigan had 16 points: six field goals, one three-pointer, and three free throws. K.D. Johnson followed with 15 points: five field goals, four three-point field goals, and one free throw. “We just took whatever they gave us,” said Johnson. “It went in tonight, and we got the dub.” Efficiency was vital for Auburn to secure the win. The Tigers were more consistent in the paint and at the three-point line. Auburn was 48% from the field (32-of-66) and 50% from three (9-of-18), while Missouri had 32% from the field (18-of-57) and 28% from three (5-of-22). Flanigan and Johnson were dominant in the paint. Flanigan had 86% (6-of-7) for field goals, 50% (1-of-2) from behind the three-point arc and went 3-for-3 in his free throws. Johnson had a 56% (5-of-9) field goal percentage and shot 67% (4-of-6) from three. “We had nine (threes). It felt like we had 19. It was like, 'I can’t believe it,'” Pearl said. “We got open shots. The ball moved really well.” On the defensive side, Auburn played strong. The team ended the night with 48 total rebounds: 32 defensive and 16 offensive. Auburn had five blocks and nine steals compared to Missouri’s four and six, respectively. Cardwell had three blocks, added to Broome and Zep Jasper's one apiece. Broome had ten rebounds: five offensive and five defensive. Jaylin Williams also added five defensive and two offensive rebounds. “We need Johni to be dominant on the inside,” Pearl said. “We had an advantage at the five position tonight. We dominated the five spot, which we needed to.” Broome showed some discomfort from his apparent foot injury as he had to exit the game twice, but the young forward returned each time. “I’m going to be alright. It was just kind of a tough fall,” Broome said. Auburn has a long road trip up ahead. On Saturday, the Tigers head up to Nashville to play the Vanderbilt Commodores at 7:30 p.m. CST on the SEC Network. After Vanderbilt, Auburn will play three teams on the road: Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Alabama. “Our guys care about trying to make history,” Pearl said. “We want to get to the NCAA Tournament. This helps, but we’ve still got work to do. Great win. We’ll take tomorrow off and get ready for Vanderbilt.” Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Auburn Plainsman delivered to your inbox Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman. Caitlyn Griffin | Sports Writer Caitlyn Griffin is a freshman from Huntsville, Ala. majoring in journalism. She started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.

auburnwire.usatoday.com Auburn takes giant step forward in KenPom rankings following win over Missouri Taylor Jones 3–4 minutes Auburn took care of business on Tuesday by blowing out Missouri, 89-56 at Neville Arena. Auburn jumped out to a 13-2 lead with 14:19 remaining in the first half to grab their first, and only, double-digit lead. Auburn would lead by as much as 27 in the first half and would extend that lead up to 39 points before settling for a 33-point victory. Buy Tigers Tickets The win snapped a three-game losing streak and gives the momentum heading into a tough stretch of five games to close the season. How much did Auburn’s win affect its place in the KenPom? Let’s just say the data considered the win to be very impressive. Auburn climbed considerably in several categories, which also improves its stock within the SEC. Here’s a look at where Auburn stands in the KenPom following a stellar win over Missouri. Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser Auburn’s 33-point win over Missouri paved the way for them to skyrocket up the KenPom rankings. Auburn now stands at No. 18, which a ten-spot increase from last Saturday’s loss to Alabama. Auburn is now the third-highest-ranked team from the SEC in the KenPom rankings, trailing just Tennessee and Alabama. Jake Crandall/ The Montgomery Advertiser Auburn’s adjusted offensive efficiency ranking stays the same following Tuesday’s win. Auburn is projected to score 111.7 points per 100 possessions. Baylor leads the nation in this category by scoring a projected 122.0 points per 100 possessions. Jake Crandall/The Montgomery Advertiser Auburn made a sizeable jump in adjusted defensive efficency from No. 20 to No. 12 after limiting Missouri to 31% shooting and 56 points. KenPom forecasts Auburn to allow their opponents to score 92.7 points per 100 possessions. Tennessee remains the nation’s best defensive team by allowing a projected 86.6 points per 100 possessions. Julie Bennett-USA TODAY Sports Auburn created 71 possessions on Tuesday, which raises their ranking to No. 150 in adjusted tempo. According to KenPom, Auburn is expected to record 67.9 points per 40 minute contest. Julie Bennett-USA TODAY Sports Auburn’s continues to play the nation’s best teams. Following Tuesday’s win over Missouri, Auburn now holds the No. 34 toughest schedule in the country, which is fourth-highest in the SEC. Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports Auburn’s next opponent, Vanderbilt, will enter Saturday’s contest with confidence after they defeated South Carolina on Tuesday to win their fourth straight game. Here’s a look at where Vanderbilt ranks following Tuesday’s action Overall: No. 90 Offensive efficiency: No. 40 Defensive efficiency: No. 171 Adjusted Tempo: No. 246

247sports.com Auburn bench responds to Pearl's challenge in big win over Missouri Mark Murphy 4–5 minutes AUBURN, Alabama–A lot of things went well for Auburn in what was one of its best performances of the 2022-23 basketball season in an 89-56 victory over Missouri. One of those was the bench production, something that was a team strength early in the schedule, but was trending downward in the second half of the season. That turned around in a major way on Valentine’s Day evening with a performance that almost any coach would love. It started with Auburn’s reserves scoring 33 points, 12 more than Missouri’s substitutes. K.D. Johnson led the reserves in scoring with 15 points, including 14 in the first half when Auburn took control. With Dylan Cardwell playing well off the bench, he helped the Tigers dominate the rebounding. The junior personally pulled in 10 of Auburn’s 48 rebounds while scoring eight points and blocking three shots. Auburn outscored Missouri 42-24 for points in the paint with Cardwell contributing to that advantage. Lior Berman also scored eight points, making 3-4 field goals. Chris Moore added four assists and two rebounds in a reserve role while Tre Donaldson scored two points, pulled in a rebound, contributed two steals and did a good job of handling Missouri’s full-court pressure defense. Auburn finished a season-high plus 22 in rebounding margin with Yohan Traore helping with two defensive rebounds and one on the offensive board. Pearl said the coaching staff had talked to the players about the importance of getting more production from the bench to help the Tigers snap a three-game losing streak. “We talked about it being a collection of all of us, and we are all responsible,” he said. Pearl noted that in the close losses in February the starters were having to play too many minutes, which meant they weren’t as effective in closing games. “I have got Wendell and KD and Al and Jaylin and Johni out there at the end, but if they have had to carry us for 35 minutes, and if they can't carry us for the last five, that’s on the team,” Pearl said. “It's on me, it's on everybody, it's on the bench. Our bench has to play better so that those guys can be fresh and furious to win games at the end.” Against Missouri the players coming in as reserves “definitely stepped up,” according to Pearl, who said, “I thought Tre Donaldson played with great confidence. Dylan, obviously, almost a double-double. Lior knocked down a couple of shots, played great defense, rebounded the ball. Dylan Cardwell and his teammates were enjoying plenty of Jungle Love on Valentine's Day evening at Neville Arena. (Photo: Jake Crandall, USA TODAY Sports) “The bench was good and then KD, little by little, little by little, and then the watershed opened up a little bit tonight for him. When he gets a little bit more of a lift on a shot and what's interesting–KD doesn't trust me all the time. He just doesn't, but I talked to him about it. And, you know, give Marquis Daniels some credit. “Marquis is my director of player development, and he is constantly in the ears of our players regarding their trials and tribulations and challenges, and does a phenomenal job keeping everybody together because he was a pro and he is a pro.” The coaches had Johnson taking extra shots using a net in front part of the rim that requires more arc for the ball to go in the basket as medicine to help him get his three-point percentage up. Against Missouri he made 4-6 treys and was a big factor coming off the bench to build a large lead for the home team. Auburn came into the Missouri game tied for fourth in the SEC with Mizzou at 7-5. With the victory Auburn improved to 18-8 while Missouri dropped to 19-7. 12COMMENTS Auburn’s coaches are giving their players a day of rest on Wednesday before returning to practice on Thursday. Next up on the schedule for Pearl’s Tigers is a road trip to Nashville to face Vanderbilt. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CST on Saturday at Memorial Gym for a game that will be televised on the SEC Network.

this is for the womens program but it is important. auburntigers.com Time change for Thursday's Auburn-Texas A&M game Auburn University Athletics ~1 minute AUBURN, Ala. – Due to the threat of inclement weather impacting the Auburn area Thursday night, the women's basketball game between Auburn and Texas A&M has been moved up to a 5 p.m. CT start. Doors will open at Neville Arena at 4 p.m. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network + and the Auburn Sports Network. Airtime on WQSI 93.9 FM will be 4:45 p.m.; the broadcast can also be heard on AuburnTigers.com and the Auburn Athletics app. For the latest updates, follow @AuburnWBB on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

again yesterday there was no news. tigerland did not even have a football section. as always i will try to find us some news if it is out there and not behind a pay wall. have a great day my fellow auburn fans.

Is Jarquez Hunter ready to be a feature running back at Auburn? Published: Feb. 15, 2023, 2:36 p.m. 4–5 minutes Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter (27) carries the ball against Western Kentucky during the second half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)AP By Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com We’re taking a look at each position group as Auburn prepares to open spring practice on Feb. 27. The second of an 11-part series looks at the runningbacks. Replacing star runningback Tank Bigsby is a complex ask for offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery. Bigbsy had 973 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, leaving the Plains for the 2023 National Football League Draft seventh on the Tigers’ rushing yard list with 2,903 yards. Bigsby was a reliable three-year starter and leading rusher. Jarquez Hunter returns to Auburn after posting seven touchdowns and 673 yards last season. Hunter finished the season going over 100 yards in each of Auburn’s final three games. He ran for 134 yards in the Iron Bowl loss against Alabama. Hunter ran for 109 yards on 13 carries in the win against Western Kentucky. He also ran for 114 yards in the emotional win for the Tigers in Carnell Williams’ first victory as interim head coach at Jordan-Hare. Damari Alston saw limited action behind Hunter and Bigsby. The true freshman had 85 yards on 14 carries last season during 12 games. Alston is expected to see more activity in 2023 and beyond. Projected Depth Chart: Jarquez Hunter, Junior Brian Battie, Junior Damari Alston, Sophmore Justin Jones, Junior Luke Reebals, Redshirt Freshman Departed: Tank Bigsby, NFL Draft Due to arrive in the fall: Four-star recruit Jeremiah Cobb Outlook: If Hunter is ready to elevate into a starring role, it will bode well for the Auburn offense seeking to bounce back from a losing season. Hunter has the tools to be the next elite back in the Tigers’ esteemed history of running backs. Auburn will count on him to show it each week in the SEC. Battie is a South Florida transfer who racked up 1,186 rushing yards last fall. He had seven games over 100 yards last season, and one of his best games was against the Florida Gators. Battie ran for 150 with an average of 8.82 yards per carry. He’s also a dynamic athlete on special teams. He was a consensus All-American in 2021 as a returner and, in 2022, had over 1,000 return yards. “The first guy is never going to bring him down or tackle him,” Auburn running back coach Cadillac Williams told reporters. “He always is a smaller guy, but he’s a natural runner between the tackles. He’s a running back. He’s a football player. He’s a guy that understands leverage and angles, a guy that’s going to break tackles, and he’s strong, very competitive, and wants to be one of the best. We are getting a complete back that can do it all.” Battie and Hunter could become a solid one-two punch for the Tigers. Alston is on his way to becoming a rotational back. Williams also expressed excitement about incoming freshman Cobb from Montgomery. Cobb had three-consecutive 2,000-yard rushing seasons as a high school star. Getting playing time as a freshman in the SEC isn’t easy, but Cobb might be the rare one to work his way on the field early. “He’s a running back that can do it all to me. One thing that I love about him, and everybody knows about his speed, everybody knows about his long runs, but he is a guy that can get the tough yards,” Williams told reporters. “He’s a guy that breaks tackles. One thing I love about him, he will stick his face in the fan, as in he’s a willing blocker. He’s pretty good at that.” Up next: Wide Receivers Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group.

si.com Auburn OC Philip Montgomery is one of the most interesting coordinator hires in the SEC Lance Dawe ~4 minutes The Auburn Tigers made a fascinating hire in Montgomery, who may be able to get the most out of Auburn's QB room. Auburn's two coordinator hires have almost gone unnoticed this offseason. Offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery and defensive coordinator Ron Roberts arrived on the Plains with a decent amount of fanfare, but have received little to no national attention. As we wade into the 2023 offseason, folks are starting to talk a little bit more about head coach Hugh Freeze's two choices. Saturday Down South senior columnist Connor O'Gara joined McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning on WJOX 94.5 in Birmingham to discuss O'Gara's favorite coordinator hires in the SEC, among other things. While O'Gara loves Kentucky's Liam Coen, who is returning for his second stint with the Wildcats, Auburn's Montgomery may be a more interesting hire. "I'm kind of fascinated by Philip Montgomery at Auburn," O'Gara said. "I think that's a move that has gone - it's been swept under the rug because we think 'alright, Hugh Freeze, offensive minded guy, he's kind of going to be running the show there,' but it's probably going to be Philip Montgomery calling the plays there to a certain extent, right? And I think that's one of those moves where if he gets to work with Robby Ashford, that's fascinating." Ashford showed flashes of potential in this first season as an Auburn Tiger, but statistically wasn't impressive in a variety of areas as a passer - he finished last among SEC starters in yards per attempt (6.39) and completion percentage (49%) and was sixth in the league in turnover worthy play rate (8.75%). He did, however, finish second among SEC quarterbacks in total rushing yards and is in prime position to take a step forward behind an improved offensive line. Working on his accuracy and timing may be the most important thing for Ashford this offseason - if he wants a shot at the job, he's going to have to find more consistency to meet Freeze and Montgomery's expectations. Thankfully, Montgomery may be the perfect hire to unlock that potential. "I remember talking to RGIII (Robert Griffin III) about this back in October," O'Gara said. "He called the first start Robby Ashford had in that game against Mizzou. And he came away from it saying 'if Robby Ashford could ever work with someone like Philip Montgomery' - who RGIII got to work with at Baylor - 'then he could be the perfect guy to kind of maximize his potential as a thrower, and get him to understand his progression.' And don't ya know it, that's who he ends up with." Nobody's saying Robby Ashford is Robert Griffin III - who won the Heisman at Baylor in 2011 - but the pairing of Ashford and Montgomery in a Hugh Freeze offense does give intrigue. "If Hugh Freeze does end up saying 'alright, I'm going to see what I have in Robby Ashford in year one,' that's a move that I think is really, really interesting given the skill set, and given the background of what he's capable of," O'Gara said.

What 2023 4-star Sylvester Smith can bring to Auburn’s secondary Published: Feb. 15, 2023, 10:44 a.m. 3–4 minutes Auburn Safety Sylvester Smith highlights from Munford High School By Nick Alvarez | nalvarez@al.com Hugh Freeze and Auburn worked at a “wild,” breakneck pace in December. The 2023 recruiting class needed work and it didn’t take long for a point of emphasis to emerge: the secondary. The new staff, with some returning faces like Zac Etheridge and Wesley McGriff, flipped a few blue-chip prospects and quickly reconnected with others to sell a program banking on a turnaround. One such player was in-state four-star Sylvester Smith. A safety from Munford High, Smith was previously committed to Tennessee before Freeze and co. were “fast” in mid-December in swaying him. A late visit was crucial to Smith’s commitment, along with a prior relationship with McGriff, who had recruited he was on staff at Florida. At 5-foot-11, 195-pounds, Smith’s versatility should stand out among the seven high school signees Auburn added in the 2023 class. Michael Easley, his high school coach, said Smith should be able to play at any position within the secondary. “You gotta be under control to make the plays. As crazy as it sounds, at (Auburn) he’ll have to slow down a little bit as far as that closing 10 yards or so. ... He’ll be a guy who can play some single-high safety for them, can play some two-shell stuff. He’ll get down there and cover tight ends and running backs,” Easley said after Smith’s commitment on Dec. 18. He was a four-year defensive starter at a mid-size program, earning offensive snaps at each skill position. Smith was only hampered by a high-ankle sprain his junior season, but even then he returned as a quarterback that ran for 24 touchdowns and threw for seven more as a senior. Smith’s natural position is safety, using his speed to crash down on the ball, but has the athleticism to work on the outside. More Tigers football: New AD John Cohen is getting used to ‘Auburn Being Auburn’ in the best way Transfer WR Nick Mardner ‘wanted a challenge’ while reuniting with Marcus Davis at Auburn At the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Classic, his team losing a few cornerbacks to injury, Smith played the entire first half at boundary corner. It didn’t surprise Easley, who’s seen Smith’s work ethic grow through his development. Easley can track when Munford’s players watched film through a team portal and Smith would usually lead the group. By Tuesday practices, he would be calling out plays before the ball is snapped. “All of this happened really fast with Sylvester,” Easley said. “I think any university in any state should look at their in-state talent. Give them a long look.” With its two starting cornerbacks returning and a set of more veteran players already on the depth chart, Smith’s adaptability could lead to him seeing the field while Auburn works to “flip the script” in the Freeze era. Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at NAlvarez@al.com.

247sports.com Auburn coach Hugh Freeze weighs in on NIL: 'I don't want it to be the sole reason you choose a school' Cameron Salerno 4–5 minutes Auburn coach Hugh Freeze is in month two on the job at the school and is already making moves. Freeze in an interview with CBS Sports talked about NIL and how it can impact the program going forward. “To me, it should be for your locker room and for the ones who have created value for themselves, not the reason you choose a school," Freeze said. "That's what I believe. I think that's what it was intended for. I really want to do that. I don't want it to be the sole reason you choose a school. I do think our collective is incredibly fair with the examples that we can give for how our team is going to be treated. There has to be a sense of 'Man, I gotta come and earn that.' I was kind of thrown into the fire so late, and every dang discussion ... that's what they wanted to talk about. That was uncomfortable. I didn't like that at all. "I'm excited to get in a full recruiting cycle to where we can have these honest, frank discussions and I can give them my opinion on why you should choose the school and you can (and) absolutely should try to create great value for yourself." Freeze comes to Auburn with a reputation of developing quarterbacks. From Malik Willis at Liberty to Bo Wallace and Chad Kelly at Ole Miss. In a recent interview, Freeze talked about his "quarterback-friendly offensive system" and what it takes to develop a successful signal-caller. “I think it comes from our system," Freeze said. "I think I teach in a way that helps them understand the game and where the game should be played on a given play, post-snap. Which is a little different. Not a lot of coaches feel good about giving up that control. But I’ve gotta believe that I can teach it well enough for our quarterbacks to know, ‘man alright post-snap, this safety is the insert player, this is the field I need to play on.’ And I think it’s quarterback friendly as long as they can be a fundamentally-accurate passer. I need help with that. I think my gift is teaching them the game and making correct decisions and getting the protection set and all of that. I’ve had some great, fundamental quarterback coaches that were really good. That’s a great compliment to me. Ole Miss had Dan Werner, Liberty had Kent Austin who’s brilliant and one of the best to ever do it. I can’t take total credit for the development. I think I’m pretty good at helping them learn the game.” Auburn went 5-7 overall this season, the worst record the Tigers program has experienced in nearly a decade. Freeze previously coached in the SEC at Ole Miss from 2012-16, spent the previous four seasons turning around the program at Liberty. “As a person, I think you grow more in the times of failure — if you handle them the right way — than you probably do in the successes,” Freeze said on his time at Liberty. “The mountain tops are beautiful but usually the fruit is grown in the valleys. And I think that’s kind of where I’ve been and there’s been a lot of growth in me over the last six years from trying to be more committed and disciplined on a daily life– to your faith, your family and your friends. Family also meaning my team and administration and university family. And learning to be a better listener. That’s kind of been my goals. I’m still doing that. And then as a football [coach] it’s been incredible. To take an FCS program that’s transitioning to FBS and win at least eight games every season. Undefeated in bowl games, our power-5 wins and many more great things that we’ve done … all of that happening that fast and that quick, had been remarkable and I think is a testament to the players, the administration and the staff we had there.” ">247Sports

nevermind i got it to work somehow............