Hugh Freeze Cautiously Optimistic on Paul Finebaum Show

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze confides in Paul Finebaum that he's 'Uncertain' how his youthful team might perform in 2024

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze is counting on big contributions from freshmen like Cam Coleman (pictured) / Austin Perryman, Auburn University Athletics

Once the giddy excitement of the recruitment cycle gives way to some more nuts and bolts on-field preparations - thoughts inevitably turn to how the Auburn Tigers might perform in 2024.

Hopes are certainly high that a winning season might materialize, especially now that head coach Hugh Freeze has bedded himself in and hit some home runs in the recruitment game.

All told, Freeze is putting his trust in some coaching changes he deemed as being absolutely vital, and of course his veteran quarterback Payton Thorne coming good for the forthcoming campaign. 

Even so, the biggest leap of faith Freeze is taking is in hoping that a host of young talent like Cam Coleman can really shine on a national level.

Sure sounds like he's asking a heck of a lot of his young stars. Freeze admitted during a visit on The Paul Finebaum Show how he's embarking on an odyssey into the unknown with his young team.

"Do we have enough bullets in the gun yet to play eight to 10 games against really, really good teams in this league and be able to pull them off? I'm uncertain of that," Freeze said on the show. "But I do think these young kids we signed are really talented, and we're going to have to depend upon them."

Soberingly, some might feel a little disheartened to hear Freeze is a little lost as to what direction the season might go - certainly in terms of the number of wins the Tigers might post.

In general terms, the reconstruction of the entire football program clearly is more long-term these days under the savvy leadership of Freeze.

Boil the bones down of the current recruitment strategy, and we undoubtedly find a head coach who knows they have to plant trees for the future.

Of course, that will expose Freeze to more immediate vagaries of a pretty brutal schedule, but he's intent on navigating through the thick cloud cover regardless.

His firm belief being that the first five games will give him a much better picture of where they're headed in general.

"I think we'll know pretty quick this season, after those first five home games, where we are," Freeze continued. "I do think if you look at the roster right now and compare it to those of the likes of the teams in this league that are playing for the SEC championship year in and year out, or a national championship and the playoffs, our roster probably is not totally there yet.

"That doesn't mean you can't win games. I feel much better in Year 2 than I did in Year 1. Give us two more recruiting classes, and I think that roster's going to look just fine with the rest of our league. But I think there's reason for optimism this year. Our kids are confident, and I like the chemistry."

Tigers fans are understandably desperate for their head coach to turn things around rather quickly, by the same token, they don't really want to be told to remain patient.

Freeze is now doing that difficult job by selling a more honest, open and ambitious program to some top quality high school athletes, and it's working in real terms with a top-10 class last year and current top-5 class in 2025.

Freeze will have to manage all of the expectations which will emanate from a great deal of folks who require instant gratification. All the while hopefully Freeze compiles enough wins to keep the wolf from the door and crucially keep his master plan on track.