2/2/23 Auburn Articles

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Jeremiah Cobb has signed with the Auburn Tigers

Lance Dawe

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Jeremiah Cobb officially made himself a Tiger by signing his letter of intent to play football at Auburn. 

Cobb was a massive get for the Tigers when they landed him back on July 1st. 

He has track star speed and has been clocked running the 100-meter dash in a lighting quick 11.13 seconds. 

Cobb is from Montgomery, where he attended Montgomery Catholic Prep. He put up video game numbers during his time in high school.

 With Tank Bigsby heading to the NFL, Cobb could jump right into touches for the Tigers as he will mix in with Jarquez Hunter and Damari Alston. 

This may be the most intriguing pickup of Auburn's 2023 recruiting class. Cobb was a monster at Montgomery Catholic High School, posting insane stats and displaying a well-rounded skill set. 247Sports noted in their analysis that "not one physical trait that stands out among the rest but (Cobb) possesses a well-rounded skill set and has a good feel for the position."

And a good feel he has. There have been several comps thrown out for Cobb, and one many recruiting experts come back to is Alvin Kamara, given his ability to catch passes out of the backfield and turn anything into a big gain. There's not a particular area of weakness in his game (outside of the fact that he's still raw, as any high school talent), which is great news for the Tigers, who would expect him to take over the starting role as early as 2024 if Jarquez Hunter were to declare for the NFL Draft.

Cobb has some serious potential to become a great weapon in Hugh Freeze's offense.

*Career carries - 639

*Career yards - 6,567

*Career rushing touchdowns - 75

*Career YPC - 10.3

*Career receiving yards - 1,142

*Career receiving touchdowns - 15

*Career YPC (receiving) - 22.8 (!)

*All of these career numbers are his high school stats over the course of 50 games.

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Hugh Freeze wants to rebuild Auburn’s offensive line play

Published: Feb. 01, 2023, 12:22 p.m.

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Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze speaks to the media at Senior Bowl

By

• Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze didn’t mince words on Tuesday when talking to reporters in Mobile during the Senior Bowl about last season’s disappointing pass protection.

“When I watch the tapes from last year,” Freeze told reporters. “I’m not sure if any of the quarterbacks had a fair chance sometimes. They didn’t get protected very well, and that starts up front.”

Freeze addressed the problem by aggressively recruiting in the portal. He signed Gunnar Britton (Western Kentucky), Dillion Wade (Tulsa), Avery Jones (East Carolina), and junior college lineman Izavion Miller during the first open window.

Read More Auburn Football: Hugh Freeze is excited about coaching Auburn’s current quarterbacks

How Auburn is retooling its defense through the transfer portal

Hugh Freeze makes it a dozen transfers added, signs SEC linebacker

Wade was the third-ranked offensive tackle in the portal. He comes to the Plains with two years of eligibility and started every game for Tulsa last season. He also played under current Auburn offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery when Montgomery was the Tulsa head coach.

Jones was the highest-rated available center, and Britton was the sixth-rated offensive tackle. Miller was one of the best JUCO linemen. Signing four potential starters on the offensive line is an impressive feat necessary for the Tigers’ hopes to reestablish themselves as a viable contender.

Auburn had seven offensive linemen on scholarship when Freeze arrived as the head coach. He likes to carry 16 linemen and wants to sign one more during the open period following spring football.

“I have a certain belief in roster management and how to build a roster. I thought we got a really good mixture of young kids that we signed in high school,” Freeze said. We had some that were mid-year enrollees. And obviously, the portal guys who have played a lot of football, you depend on them to play. No one gets a starting job, but you don’t recruit those guys to sit around, for sure.”

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COLUMN | Welcome to the Freeze - The Auburn Plainsman

 

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There’s a new sense of excitement for football on the campus of Auburn University. 

On Oct. 31, 2022 (ironically Halloween and Nick Saban’s birthday), Auburn announced that Bryan Harsin was fired from leading the Auburn football program. For many students, if not all, there was a sigh of relief. Fast forward to Nov. 28, 2022, Hugh Freeze, a former coach at Ole Miss and Liberty, was announced as Auburn’s 31st head football coach.

Freeze takes over a program that has a new multi-million dollar football facility, an NIL collective that is healthy and ready to give and one of the most supportive fanbases in all of collegiate athletics. This all sounds great, however, Freeze inherits a program that needs a new identity and has a combined 17-19 record in the last three seasons. On his first full day on the job, Freeze hit the recruiting trail and the transfer portal hard. 

Auburn was ranked at the bottom in the recruiting rankings, while rivals Alabama, Georgia and LSU were at the top in the conference and the nation. From south Florida to the heart of Texas, the new Auburn coaching staff was on the road putting in the hard work to fill the holes of a depleted roster. Early signing day arrives, and Freeze pulls together a top 20 recruiting class and a top 10 transfer portal class. Just incredible!

Freeze gets it. As he led 9,121+ fans in a roaring “War Eagle” chant in Neville Arena during the Arkansas basketball game, he knows what it takes to be at Auburn. From President Chris Roberts to Director of Athletics John Cohen, all is in the proper balance to put Auburn in a position to reclaim its spot back with the prestigious programs in college football. 

When A-Day arrives in April, I expect students and fans of all backgrounds to be packed in Jordan-Hare Stadium to witness the dawn of a new era of Auburn football. 

The Freeze era is a complete night and day compared to the previous administration. It is going to take more than one recruiting class to fully get back on track. Freeze’s first Junior Day was another step upward. Over 200 high school recruits from across the South gathered in the Woltosz Football Performance Center this past Saturday and saw a glimpse of the future of Auburn football — a future that could very well include them. 

Many of the high schoolers left that day with Auburn as one of their top schools to choose and I would dare to say that I expect some of them to commit to Auburn sooner rather than later. 

The offseason is fun again. Folks have a newfound pride in Auburn football. Is this what Auburn needed two years ago, which was the last time the Tigers were looking for a head coach? I can only imagine where the Tigers would be if Freeze was the man back then.

While the season awaits in the fall of 2023, signs of the offseason are pointing in the right direction. We all know that at Auburn, the impossible becomes possible, so I most definitely will not count this team out by no means necessary. Could another “Miracle in Jordan-Hare” be on the horizon? Beware of the Auburn Tigers, but until then let’s all sit back, relax, and “just watch.”

Freeze said it best: “I believe in work, hard work, which it will take. I believe in the spirit of being unafraid. I don’t fear much in life, and I don’t think our team will either. I believe in the people. It’s the Auburn Family. This place is special, and there’s no other place that I want to be. I believe in Auburn and love it. War Eagle!”

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.

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Michael Floyd | Community Writer

Michael Floyd, junior in journalism, has been with The Plainsman since Spring 2021. He is a native of Brewton, Ala., an can be followed on Twitter here.

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si.com

 

Hugh Freeze believes evaluating Auburn's QB room is hard because 'they truthfully did not have a lot of protection' in 2022

Lance Dawe

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Auburn football has completely reshaped their offensive line for 2023.

After putting together one of the worst offensive lines the Tigers have seen this century, new Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze has been determined since day one to overhaul the position in order to bring some consistency back to Auburn's trenches.

In an interview with Zac Blackerby of the Locked On Auburn podcast at the Senior Bowl, Freeze said it was one of his biggest priorities when he got hired.

"Well, that was the place that you had to try to get fixed first," Freeze said. "I don't know that - when I turned on the film, I don't know that the quarterbacks are getting a fair evaluation, because they truthfully did not have a lot of protection."

In 2022, Auburn's offensive line finished 12th in the SEC in sacks allowed per game and was 105th nationally in sacks per game vs ranked opponents. The line was porous, to put it gently. Whether it was Finley, Ashford, or even Geriner in his few snaps vs Missouri - the Tigers just couldn't hold things together up front.

Now that Freeze has retooled things across the board, the Tigers should expect to have an improved product in the trenches this upcoming season.

"You had to get that somewhat fixed - have we? I don't know," Freeze said. "I know we improved ourselves, but I think the 2024 and 2025 classes are going to be really vital for whether we succeed or not."

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What Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze said he'd like to accomplish before spring practice

Richard Silva, Montgomery Advertiser

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AUBURN — Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze's world has been spinning since he got hired in November.

He arrived 24 days ahead of the early signing period and recently hosted dozens of players from the classes of 2024, 2025, 2026 and 2027 during Auburn's Junior Day last Saturday. The Tigers have also brought in 12 transfers since he got the job, plus an additional two from junior college. All the while, he's been building his inaugural staff.

Now is the time for the foot to come off the gas a bit, right? An opportunity to get a few weeks off to reset before spring practice begins.

Wrong. Freeze revealed last week that Auburn's spring practice starts Feb. 27. The work to get ready for those 15 practice sessions begins now.

"We’re going to have to grind some in February," Freeze told reporters last week. "Normally, you try to take a little dead period in February to give us a break from what we’ve gone through, but we can’t do that ... we’ll have to get after it in February."

Here are a few items Freeze identified he'd like to accomplish before spring practice begins.

RECRUITING:What Thompson QB Trent Seaborn, Antwann Hill said about Auburn football at Junior Day

QUARTERBACKS:Why Hugh Freeze said he wonders if Auburn football's 2023 quarterback is already on campus

SPRING PRACTICE:When does Auburn football start spring practice? Hugh Freeze reveals start date

Assess the incoming transfers

Freeze's comments last week came in his first interaction with the media since Auburn added its 12 transfers. When asked to give his thoughts on the transfer class, he was candid.

"I don't know yet. I wish I did," Freeze said. "I mean, I obviously liked them to sign them, but I have not (had the chance to truly evaluate them). I'm so excited just to get in the office next week and be at a workout and be around our players."

Those newcomers from the portal include offensive linemen Gunner Britton (Western Kentucky), Avery Jones (ECU) and Dillon Wade (Tulsa), defensive linemen Lawrence Johnson (Purdue), Mosiah Nasili-Kite (Maryland) and Justin Rogers (Kentucky), linebackers Austin Keys (Ole Miss) and DeMario Tolan (LSU), edge Elijah McAllister (Vanderbilt), running back Brian Battie (South Florida), wide receiver Nick Mardner (Cincinnati) and tight end Rivaldo Fairweather (Florida International).

Install new offensive, defensive systems

There are only two holdovers from the last regime on the coaching staff, and neither of those retentions − running backs coach Carnell "Cadillac" Williams and safeties coach Zac Etheridge − are coordinators. Freeze hired Philip Montgomery to run the offense and Ron Roberts to handle his defense in December.

Two new coordinators means two new schemes to work in. And Freeze is sure to have his fingerprints on the offense, which adds another wrinkle of complication, even though he said he's handing playcalling duties on that side of the ball to Montgomery.

"It’s going to be normal practice," Freeze said of spring ball. "It’s just going to make our February pretty stressful trying to get everything installed with new staff on both sides. It’s such a fast turnaround."

Freeze conceded everything won't be able to get installed in time, which he said was "fine," but he also added that the Tigers "better get good at something."

'Get to know' his roster

Even something as simple as getting to know players returning from last season has been a challenge for Freeze. He explained how that opportunity "hasn't existed yet" because he's been out recruiting so often. He described it as "something I've got to dive into next week, fast."

"I've got to get to know our team and see who struggles with what and who succeeds at what and who we can count on when things get tough," Freeze said. "I'm looking forward to that a lot."

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Hugh Freeze: Auburn football coach to-do list before spring practice