aubiefifty

Bruce Pearl fires back at national college football writer over criticism of him, Hugh Freeze Sam Gillenwater ~3 minutes Michael Chang | Getty Images There are a lot of mixed feelings when it came to the report that Auburn is looking to potentially name Hugh Freeze their next head football coach. Some would be happy to accept the current Liberty head man that has a career 83-43 record in college football while others can’t see past the scandal that ended his five-year tenure at Ole Miss. While this has nothing to do with the Tiger’s basketball program, one reported decided to compare the decision to the school’s hiring of Bruce Pearl and, based on his response, he wasn’t having any of it. Pearl replied to Dan Wolken of USA Today Sports on Twitter, who tweeted something that compared Freeze’s former NCAA violations with Pearl’s. That’s when Pearl realized that Wolken may not be making a trip to The Plains anytime soon if this is what has him riled up. Everyone is free to think what they want of the situation that ended Freeze’s first go around in the SEC. However, coming after Pearl after he has posted a 172-98 record and been a great addition at Auburn in his return to college hoops following his violations at Tennessee feels like pointing fingers just for the sake of doing so.

on3.com ESPN releases updated Bracketology for 2023 March Madness after upset-filled November Sam Gillenwater 3–4 minutes The college basketball season is not even a month in and we haven’t had to wait for March for madness to arrive. For as many teams as we’ve seen rise early on, we’ve seen even more stumble out of the gates. Now, as we enter December, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has released another update of Bracketology to give us a preview of what The Big Dance could look like. While the sport’s staples in North Carolina, Kentucky, Duke, and Gonzaga have all fallen several spots in the update, programs like Virginia, Creighton, and Purdue are securing top seeds in the projection. Meanwhile, the Houston Cougars have quietly held firm as the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed. NCAA Tournament Bracketology: Last Four In / First Four Out Last Four In (with byes): TCU, Kansas State, Michigan, Penn State Last Four In: Arizona State, LSU, Ole Miss, NC State First Four Out: UAB, Oklahoma State, Utah State, Texas A&M Next Four Out: Rutgers, Florida, Seton Hall, Marquette West Region 1) Arizona vs. 16) Montana State 😎 Saint Mary’s vs. 9) Iowa State 5) North Carolina vs. 12) Sam Houston 4) Arkansas vs. 13) James Madison 6) Michigan State vs. 11) Ole Miss/NC State 3) Kansas vs. 14) MTSU 7) Wisconsin vs. 10) Kansas State 2) UConn vs. 15) Bryant Midwest Region 1) Houston vs. 16) Texas A&M CC/Southern 😎 Oklahoma vs. 9) Miami 5) San Diego State vs. 12) Drake 4) Illinois vs. 13) UC Irvine 6) Maryland vs. 11) Arizona State/LSU 3) Gonzaga vs. 14) Oral Roberts 7) Mississippi State vs. 10) Virginia Tech 2) Baylor vs. 15) Norfolk State East Region 1) Virginia vs. 16) SIU Edwardsville/Wagner 😎 West Virginia vs. 9) Xavier 5) UCLA vs. 12) Kent State 4) Alabama vs. 13) Furman 6) Kentucky vs. 11) Penn State 3) Indiana vs. 14) Liberty 7) Ohio State vs. 10) TCU 2) Creighton vs. 15) Wright State South Region 1) Texas vs. 16) UNC Asheville 😎 St. John’s vs. 9) Memphis 5) Auburn vs. 12) Towson 4) Duke vs. 13) Yale 6) Iowa vs. 11) Saint Louis 3) Tennessee vs. 14) Iona 7) Texas Tech vs. 10) Michigan 2) Purdue vs. 15) Colgate ESPN’s bracket has the Big Ten finishing with 10 teams in the field, the most of any conference. The Big 12 is right behind them, though, with nine while the SEC is a close third with eight. Kelvin Sampson’s team has made a statement early as the best squad to start the season. The Cougars are doing so as one of the most balanced teams in the country. Through their 7-0 start, Houston is first in points allowed (48) and defensive rating while also being 13th in offensive rating. That’s the kind of recipe that, even in the AAC, will lead them to success and, in the end, a region’s No. 1 seed. However, the story of the year really is the struggles of some of the sport’s most well-known programs. Kentucky, UCLA, Duke, and Gonzaga all have two losses at this point of the season. North Carolina was amongst that group before they suffered their third straight loss on Wednesday night against Indiana that has the Tar Heels sitting at an unconvincing 5-3. There’s a lot of time left for all these teams to prove to Lunardi at ESPN that they’re worthy of a higher seed. Still, their early faults have allowed other programs to take center stage when it comes to this early preview into the NCAA Tournament.

the mods asked me to bunch the articles together. no need to apologize i just think they want the board less congested if i understood correctly.

i hate to show how slow i am but i popped you for ten a month continuing monthly until i stop it. and i am not buzzed yet as i have to drive some. i can always do with one last cheeseburger a month.

i would imagine deepfreeze would know he has been blessed after his past and will act accordingly. and just maybe five years down the road we are kicking behind and people are glad we gave the man a chance.

this is in auburn articles............

that is one awesome early christmas present.

i guess i am toast. with everything up and property taxes i cannot swing it. i love the site but i have to be careful. apologies.

Cadillac Williams 'would love' to see Tank Bigsby return to Auburn in 2023 Published: Nov. 30, 2022, 11:53 a.m. 4–6 minutes Auburn Football With NFL Draft decision ahead, Cadillac Williams ‘would love’ to see Tank Bigsby return in 2023 Tank Bigsby (4) breaks off a long run against Texas A&M at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, AL on Saturday, Nov 12, 2022. Todd Van Emst/Auburn TigersTodd Van Emst/Auburn Tigers Cadillac Williams has been in Tank Bigsby’s shoes. Nineteen years ago, coming off his best individual season at Auburn, Williams had to weigh whether to declare for the NFL Draft or return for his senior season. Now Bigsby, Auburn’s star running back, faces the same question after wrapping up his junior season just 30 yards shy of back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing campaigns. Read more Auburn football: Hugh Freeze confident Auburn can ‘get out of the wilderness,’ turn things around ‘fairly fast’ Cadillac Williams ‘disappointed’ but ‘not upset’ after interviewing for Auburn head coaching job Cadillac Williams to remain at Auburn, receive promotion on Hugh Freeze’s staff Bigsby has until Jan. 16, the NFL’s deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft, to make his decision. Williams, as of Tuesday, had yet to hear from Bigsby about which way the 6-foot, 213-pounder may be leaning. “I have not talked to Tank; I don’t know what he’s thinking,” Williams said Tuesday after new head coach Hugh Freeze was introduced at Auburn. “From Day 1, since I recruited Tank, I told him he’s going to have a decision (to make) in Year 3, and he will have that decision.” It’s unclear where Bigsby’s NFL stock currently stands, but at the beginning of November, ESPN NFL Draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. did not have him among his top-10 running backs on his big board despite having him there this summer. Earlier this season, The Athletic’s NFL Draft expert Dane Brugler had Bigsby in the discussion as the No. 5 running back in the 2023 draft class. That after he had Bigsby as the No. 6 draft-eligible running back in the class during the preseason. Bigsby’s junior campaign had its ups and downs. He opened the year with 147 yards against Mercer but then experienced a difficult five-game stretch in which he averaged just 3.14 yards per carry and had 198 total rushing yards. During that period, Bigsby averaged just 2.94 yards per carry against Power 5 defenses, in large part due to Auburn’s struggles in run-blocking, as he did most of his damage after contact. Bigsby got back on track in Auburn’s loss to Ole Miss, rushing for a season-high 174 yards — the most since the final game of his freshman season — and two touchdowns while averaging 8.95 yards per carry. He finished the season on a relatively strong note, as Auburn leaned into its run game during Williams’ stint as interim head coach. Bigsby posted back-to-back 100-yard performances in Auburn’s final two home games, which were the Tigers’ final two wins of the season, and over the back half of the season he averaged 6.25 yards per carry. Bigsby finished the year with 970 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 5.42 yards per carry. He’s now at 2,821 career rushing yards, which puts him seventh on Auburn’s all-time list — just ahead of Brent Fullwood (2,789) and Stephen Davis (2,811) but behind Tre Mason (2,979) for the No. 6 spot. Bigsby will certainly get feedback from the NFL before making a decision, just as Williams did nearly two decades ago. Williams, despite receiving a late-first round grade, opted to return to Auburn for his senior season for one more go with backfield partner Ronnie Brown. That decision paid off, as Auburn went undefeated in 2004, and both Williams and Brown became top-five picks in the 2005 NFL Draft. The question is whether Bigsby will follow in his position coach’s footsteps and return for his senior season alongside tag-team partner Jarquez Hunter, who ran for 675 yards and seven scores on 6.49 yards per carry as a sophomore this fall, with Freeze running the show. “Look, I wish the best for him and his family in whatever decision (he makes),” Williams said. “I mean, I would love to have Tank Bigsby back. Are you kidding me? But I also do know that his dreams, his goals are to change the trajectory of his family. Look, like I tell him, ‘You do what’s best for Tank Bigsby.’ I’m going to support him either way.” Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

'I’m going to have a seat at the table:' Williams' next chapter begins as associate head coach Nathan King 5–7 minutes AUBURN, Alabama — Cadillac Williams tried not to get wrapped up in the coaching search. Any investment in the possibility of Auburn removing his interim tag would distract from what he needed to “pour” into his players for the past four weeks. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t want the job. Williams confirmed Tuesday he interviewed for Auburn’s head coaching position last week with athletic director John Cohen and others. And after everything Williams gave to Auburn over the past month since Bryan Harsin was fired and he led the team as a motivational and gravitational interim head coach, it was tough for Cohen to deliver the news. “Whenever they brought me the news, honestly, they looked more disappointed than me,” Williams told reporters following Hugh Freeze’s introductory Auburn press conference Tuesday morning. “They were: 'I'm sorry.' I'm disappointed; I'm not upset. I was at peace about it. “I had the opportunity to talk to Coach Freeze last night, and I was sold, to be honest with you.” Williams already has plenty of recognition, support and love from the fanbase and his team after what he accomplished and how he reinvigorated the program’s energy as the interim coach. And now he’s been promoted for it. During his intro press conference, Freeze confirmed Williams will be his associate head coach, in addition to his usual running backs duties. That will come with a raise. Both Cohen and Freeze began their remarks by recognizing Williams. The crowd responded both times with a standing ovation. For Freeze, it was his biggest priority as Auburn’s new head coach to retain Williams: “Just thrilled that he's going to be with us and teach me so much. We're always constantly learning as leaders and I look forward to what he's going to be able to impart to me on the knowledge of the Auburn family and just the feeling that you get here when you arrive and he embodies it every single day. You can tell the passion he has for this place. So thankful he's going to be with us.” Most programs have an associate head coach. Sometimes it’s just an added title to justify a pay raise. For Freeze, it was so much more than that with Williams, whom the head coach said he’ll be leaning on every day. “You're invaluable,” Freeze told Williams during a meeting Monday night. “I need your wisdom. I need you to tell me about the players. I need you to tell me about the building. I need you to tell me who is really vital to us really getting this program back to SEC championships.” On his first official day with his new gig, Williams wasn’t 100 percent certain of what all his responsibilities will be, but he knows he’ll not only be consulted by Freeze, but he’ll have a hand in making major decisions in recruiting, staffing and every other facet of the team. “I’m going to have a seat at the table with the coaches we bring in,” Williams said. “... Look, this is Coach Freeze's team. I'm here to serve. Like I said before, my seat doesn't dictate my service, so I am looking forward to this opportunity. I'm excited about it and I back coach Freeze and Auburn 100 percent.” Williams went 2-2 as Auburn’s interim coach, including a furious rally to take Mississippi State to overtime in an eventual loss five days after Harsin was fired. Then the Tigers broke a five-game losing streak with a 13-10 home win over Texas A&M in an atmosphere almost exclusively generated by Williams’ passion, and the fanbase’s subsequent response. They outscored Western Kentucky 24-0 in the second half of a comfortable win, and ran for the most yards (318) ever against a Nick Saban Alabama team in a scrappy Iron Bowl loss. Williams could have chosen other opportunities. He is, after all, now on his third Auburn head coach since he took over as running backs coach in 2019. Unsurprisingly, Williams said it was his attachment to Auburn’s players that kept him home. "Again, it's a lot of kids that I had the opportunity to recruit here,” Williams said. “These past four weeks with these kids has been incredible. And right now, I prayed about it, right now this is where I want to be. I'm forever indebted to the institution.” Williams’ retention wasn’t a condition for Freeze’s hiring on Auburn’s end. But it was for Freeze. He said Tuesday that — while trying not to get ahead of himself — he thought during the coaching search that, if he landed the Auburn job, he couldn’t succeed without Williams “along my side.” Freeze invited Williams on stage after the conclusion of the press conference. They held up Freeze’s Auburn jersey together. Williams is plenty aware of Freeze’s background and how apprehensive some Auburn fans might be to jump on board with his hiring. That's another aspect Williams' support could help Auburn with. "Trust is something you earn, and just from my conversations with him and being around him, I truly think he's a trustworthy man,” Williams said. “And I'm looking forward to helping him any way I can and get Auburn football back to the top."

Hugh Freeze makes decision on Auburn defensive coordinator, trio of position coaches, per report Sydney Hunte ~3 minutes Hugh Freeze continues to evaluate the current Auburn staff while deciding who will stay on in 2023 and who will go. Offensive line coach Will Friend — the team’s acting offensive coordinator after the firing of Eric Kiesau in October — along with defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding, wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard, and defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh have all reportedly been told by Freeze they have been relieved of their duties, per 247Sports’ Christian Clemente. Friend was hired by Bryan Harsin from Tennessee in Jan. 2021. Schmedding, initially the linebackers coach in 2021, was promoted to defensive coordinator in 2022 by Harsin after serving in the same role with him at Boise State in 2019 and 2020. Hilliard, a former SEC All-American at Florida, joined the program ahead of the 2022 season after several stops in the NFL as a player and later coach. Brumbaugh also came on board in 2022 after a year as a defensive analyst at Oregon, while serving as Tennessee’s co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach before that. Meanwhile, per Clemente, 2 other position coaches are “expected to be retained” by Freeze: defensive backs coach Zac Etheridge and linebackers coach Christian Robinson.

Hugh Freeze parts ways with several more assistants; three still on staff Christian Clemente ~3 minutes New Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze met with Auburn's staff on Wednesday and is turning the page. Sources confirmed to Auburn Undercover that defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh, defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding, offensive line coach Will Friend and wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard join edge coach Roc Bellantoni and will not be retained as part of Freeze's staff and are let go effective immediately. Freeze has already opted to retain Cadillac Williams as running backs coach and elevate him to associate head coach, while secondary coach Zac Etheridge and linebackers coach Christian Robinson have not been guaranteed spots on Freeze's staff, but are expected to be retained as of Wednesday afternoon. Brumbaugh, a former Auburn defensive lineman from 1995-'99, joined Auburn's staff in January. Brumbaugh came over after last working at Oregon as an analyst, with stops at Tennessee, Colorado, Maryland, Kentucky and other spots. Hilliard and Bellantoni were also in their first year on Auburn's coaching staff under Bryan Harsin. Alabama alum Friend departs after spending two years on staff as the offensive line coach and taking over as co-offensive coordinator with Hilliard when Harsin was dismissed. A former Auburn defensive back, Etheridge first joined Harsin's staff as the cornerbacks coach before being elevated to secondary coach and associate head coach for the 2022 season. Etheridge is regarded as one of Auburn's more dynamic recruiters. Robinson joined Auburn in 2022 after a four-year stint at Florida, previously working at his alma mater Georgia, Mississippi State and Ole Miss as a graduate assistant under Freeze in 2015-'16. 55COMMENTS When Auburn's staff shook up on Halloween, analysts Joe Bernardi, Mike Hartline and Kendall Simmons were elevated to on-field positions. Auburn Undercover can confirm that there's a strong chance Simmons is offered a chance to return in an off-the-field spot. It's unclear right now who else Freeze will look to keep as off-the-field analysts and graduate assistants. With the dead period ending on Friday, Freeze is moving quickly to assemble a staff and get pieces in play to go out and conduct visits ahead of the Dec. 21 Signing Day. ">247Sports

Auburn football hires Jeremy Garrett as new defensive line coach Lance Dawe 2–3 minutes Just hours after the news broke that defensive line coach Jimmy Brumbaugh would not be retained at Auburn, the Tigers found their next coach up at the position. Auburn is set to hire Liberty's defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett for the same position, per Mike Gittens of The War Rapport. Before his time with the Flames, Garrett spend two seasons in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns as an assistant DL coach. Liberty - who's top three sack artists this season are defensive lineman - ranks No. 3 national in total sacks this season with 41. The Flames' defense were also inside the top 35 national in yards per carry. Here's a look at Garrett's entire resume: 2022-present – Liberty (DL) 2020-21 – Cleveland Browns (Asst. DL) 2019 – Vanderbilt (Defensive Quality Control) 2018 – Ensworth HS (HC) 2011-17 – Enworth HS (Defensive Coach) 2010 – Southaven HS (AC) Auburn let a number of staff members walk this afternoon, including defensive assistant Roc Bellantoni, defensive coordinator Jeff Schmedding, wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard, and offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Will Friend. Secondary coach Zac Etheridge and linebackers coach Christian Robinson are expected to be retained. It does not appear that the Tigers will be going to a bowl game (if they are invited) under new head coach Hughe Freeze, based on the cleaning of the cupboard we've seen this week. Auburn hires Hugh Freeze to become next head football coach Five potential offensive coordinator candidates for Auburn WATCH: Robby Ashford throws a touchdown in the Iron Bowl

What former Auburn football, Liberty QB Malik Willis said about coach Hugh Freeze's new job Nick Suss, Montgomery Advertiser 2–3 minutes Few people have a more unique perspective on Auburn football hiring coach Hugh Freeze than Tennessee Titans quarterback Malik Willis. Willis, a rookie with the Titans who has started two games this season, played two seasons at Auburn from 2017-18 before transferring to Liberty, where he spent his final three college seasons playing for Freeze. In two years as a starter in 2020-21, Willis led the Flames to an 18-6 record while accounting for 5,117 passing yards, 1,822 rushing yards and 74 total touchdowns. "I think he'll fit perfectly fine," Willis said about Freeze's prospects at Auburn. "He's a great coach. That's all you want regardless of level or status. You just come in and try to coach the best that you can." THE TAKE:Best part of Auburn football hire of Hugh Freeze? He didn't drive a hard bargain | Toppmeyer CONTRACT DETAILS:How much is Auburn football paying Hugh Freeze? Here are the details When asked what makes Freeze so successful as a coach, Willis singled out Freeze's skills as a communicator. He said Freeze does such a good job of clearly communicating what he's asking of his players that the players often don't even realize the skills being ingrained in them. Willis said he reached out to congratulate Freeze on the new job but didn't reveal any details about their conversation beyond saying, "We chopped it up." Having the experience he has both at Auburn and under Freeze, Willis said he thinks the only thing Freeze needs to focus on to be successful is trying to win one game every week. Willis doesn't have all the answers, though. When asked about the positives and negatives of the Auburn job, Willis was blunt. "I don't know," Willis said. "They've had like three coaches. I don't know." Nick Suss is the Tennessee Titans beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Nick at nsuss@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @nicksuss.

https://twitter.com/Lane_Kiffin/status/1597895745129979904?r ef_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1597895745129979904%7Ctwgr%5E531a4f12c916963e15a6037bbc0f6f256ebe121c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.secrant.com%2Fsec-football%2Fhere-was-lane-kiffins-welcome-message-for-hugh-freeze%2F105746653%2Fhttps://twitter.com/Lane_Kiffin/status/1597895745129979904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1597895745129979904%7Ctwgr%5E531a4f12c916963e15a6037bbc0f6f256ebe121c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.secrant.com%2Fsec-football%2Fhere-was-lane-kiffins-welcome-message-for-hugh-freeze%2F105746653%2F

Hugh Freeze confident Auburn can turn things around 'fairly fast' Published: Nov. 30, 2022, 7:15 a.m. 7–8 minutes Hugh Freeze met with his new team for the first time Tuesday morning, just a few hours before he was officially introduced as Auburn’s new coach. During that meeting with the team, which Freeze described as “incredible,” the 53-year-old coach gave his players his initial pitch for resurrecting a program that has fallen on hard times thanks to back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since 1998-99. Read more Auburn football: Hugh Freeze apologizes for unsolicited DMs to former Liberty student AD John Cohen: Hugh Freeze ‘completely transparent’ during Auburn search Cadillac Williams ‘disappointed’ but ‘not upset’ after interviewing for Auburn head coaching job “I shared with them how we’re going to turn this ship and get out of the wilderness here that we might be in a little bit,” Freeze said during his introductory press conference. “Every job that I’ve ever taken over has had some type of struggles prior to our arrival, and we’ve been able to turn them fairly quickly.” Freeze experienced early success at each of the head coaching stops during his career, from NAIA program Lambuth to Arkansas State, from Ole Miss to Liberty, he has an established record of on-field success. At Lambuth, he guided the program to back-to-back NAIA playoff appearances, including a sixth-place finish in 2009. Two years later, when he took over at Arkansas State, the Red Wolves won 10 games and a Sun Belt title a year after finishing 4-8. When he assumed the head coaching position at Ole Miss, the Rebels were coming off a two-win campaign in 2011. Freeze won seven games in his first year with the Rebels, eight the following season (though seven were eventually vacated by the NCAA), nine in 2014 (eight of them vacated) and 10 in 2015. When he was tabbed as Liberty’s head coach after the 2018 season, the Flames were completing their transition to full-fledged FBS member. In Freeze’s first season Liberty won eight games and earned its first-ever bowl berth. The Flames finished 2020 ranked 17th in the nation and won 10 games in Freeze’s second season before winning eight games in each of his final two years with the program. Freeze is confident that will again be the case at Auburn, where he inherits a team that went 5-7 this season, has experienced its share of adversity over in just the last two years — from coaching changes (both at the top of the program and with coordinators and position coaches) to off-field drama and on-field struggles — and will undoubtedly have a drastically different look to its roster come 2023. While Freeze has yet to have time to evaluate Auburn’s entire roster, he’s confident he can experience similar success in a short time on the Plains, particularly with the current landscape of college football thanks to the transfer portal and NIL, which could facilitate Auburn’s efforts to close the gap between it and its rivals atop the SEC. RELATED: Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze has a message for recruits: ‘Come and see’ “I think we can turn it fairly fast with the new world we’re in,” Freeze said. “Because I believe with the commitment that’s been shown by our fans, boosters and administration to invest in things like this that matter in recruiting and they matter in the NIL, the On To Victory fund — all that matters today. Ten years ago, you didn’t have that, so the turnaround was a little different. Kids couldn’t leave a school and come to Auburn. They can now. “I do think we’ve got to be careful to get the right kids to fit our culture. But at the same time, it’s much easier to add to your roster now than when I was when I took over Ole Miss and they haven’t won an SEC game in two years. And obviously we were going to some New Year 6′s in Years 3 and 4. So, I see no reason why with the current structure, we can’t do this fairly fast.” Accomplishing that will take a concerted effort by Freeze and his yet-to-be-completed staff, especially with a tight turnaround on the recruiting front. The recruiting contact period just began Monday, and the transfer portal window opens next week. The start of the early signing period is just a few weeks away, and Auburn will need to take advantage of the coming weeks to help shape its roster for Year 1 under Freeze. The Tigers have 24 seniors, some of whom can still return thanks to the NCAA’s extra year of eligibility granted during the pandemic, but others have exhausted their eligibility or may seek to finish out their careers elsewhere. Auburn could also lose some draft-eligible juniors, such as defensive lineman Colby Wooden — who participated in senior day festivities — and running back Tank Bigsby. There’s also sure to be roster attrition, and addition, through the transfer portal; the team already had multiple players enter the portal prior to Bryan Harsin’s firing, while wide receiver Landen King withdrew his name and appears set to return next season. RELATED: Assessing Hugh Freeze the recruiter and what it means for Auburn football “I think Year 1, the portal will be a big priority,” Freeze said. “Again, this is without me talking to recruiting yet to kind of find out where we are with the high school recruits. I do believe in building with high school kids and filling in with the portal. Can we do that in Year 1? I’m not sure yet. So, I would anticipate it being heavier toward the portal.” As for the high school front, Auburn has work to do between now and the early signing period, and to a lesser extent the February signing period. The Tigers picked up a couple key commitments leading up to Freeze’s hiring, flipping four-star defensive lineman Darron Reed from LSU and adding three-star Opelika edge Brenton Williams, but the class still only has 13 commitments, ranks 32nd nationally in the 247Sports Composite rankings and is 10th among SEC programs. “We’re short on time,” Freeze said. “We’ve got to get going and get going fast.” Freeze is looking forward to the challenge ahead of him at Auburn but noted it will take “buy-in to chasing a standard” throughout the program and that his staff will have to “drive the culture.” It’s in part why he wanted to retain Cadillac Williams as associate head coach/running backs coach, and why he plans to lean on Williams’ institutional insight in determining the most crucial personnel to retain as Auburn moves into this next chapter. “This is how we do it, and it’s proven to turn programs and worked everywhere we’ve been very, very fast,” Freeze said. “I think getting the culture, the buy-in from the staff to drive the culture, is the biggest priority.” Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

ok there hannity...........

you best back up quite a few years. and yes you would be right but i can say i damn sure did not vote for him. and this makes me happy. i know people with morals that told me they felt like a fool voting for him. true story.

i agree to a point but i wanted folks to KNOW ya know? lol next you will be saying old geezers are pointless as well.

my mother is crazier than i am. well or was. she passed in 04. she could not stand doneald either lol

78 face palms me more than my mother did................lol. tis a sad state of affairs when i was joking with iam.

and of course some say the jungle is not an official name for jordanhare. my thing is so? we sure wear out that song.

winterland. one even said lets call it winterfell. lol winter is coming. what you guys got? lets have some fun and chill some. please dunna leave me hanging all alone here guys...............