Chris LowApr 8, 2025, 08:53 PM ET
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- Faculty soccer reporter
- Joined ESPN.com in 2007
- Graduate of the College of Tennessee
AUBURN, Ala. — About 3 months after his 2nd instantly dropping season at Auburn, Hugh Freeze discovered in February that he had prostate most cancers.
“On the time, the one factor you listen is that ‘C’ phrase,'” Freeze instructed ESPN on Tuesday.
Admittedly rattled, and extra scared for his circle of relatives than the rest, Freeze has since settled on a process remedy, and upon getting some encouraging information not too long ago from medical doctors that his type of most cancers used to be low competitive, he has determined to attend till January and let medical doctors reexamine his scenario as a substitute of getting surgical operation.
“I am best 55. We are a circle of relatives of religion, and I simply did not really feel adore it used to be time to hurry into surgical operation,” Freeze mentioned. “I am at peace with it.”
The similar is going for his soccer staff as Freeze enters his 1/3 season at the Plains. He is in no way content material with the effects the previous two seasons — and nor is he naïve in regards to the loss of endurance inside the realm of SEC soccer — however Freeze used to be outspoken when he arrived that it might take 3 complete recruiting categories to get Auburn again into championship rivalry. His first two have each been top-10 categories nationally.
“I believe it is as settled as now we have been as a program, the continuity of our personnel, the items of our personnel that now we have added and what now we have been in a position to do in development our roster in highschool recruiting and within the portal,” Freeze mentioned. “Now, now we have were given to move compete and win some extra video games, however I do not really feel any sense of panic.
“We are on our strategy to getting the place we wish to be and the place we will have to be.”
Auburn final had a successful season in 2020, when it used to be 6-5, and has received greater than 8 video games best two times (2017 and 2019) since enjoying for the nationwide championship in 2013. The Tigers completed 5-7 final season.
Freeze mentioned the beef up and dedication from Auburn chancellor Christopher Roberts and athletic director John Cohen could not be more potent, and on the earth of brand, symbol and likeness, Auburn goes all-in on locking in key avid gamers financially. The payroll for the 2025 roster will exceed $20 million.
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One of the crucial key acquisitions used to be quarterback Jackson Arnold, who transferred from Oklahoma. Arnold used to be ESPN’s No. 2-ranked dual-threat quarterback prospect within the 2023 signing magnificence, however he used to be benched for a part of final season after some early struggles.
“A hundred percent, I wished a reset,” Arnold mentioned. “It used to be simply time to transport on. I had to pass to a spot the place I used to be going to position myself in a greater place. I am by no means going to mention anything else unhealthy about OU or any of the folk there, but it surely simply wasn’t a have compatibility. And because the season went on, perhaps it used to be them dropping self assurance in me or no matter, however I by no means doubted that I may play at this degree and win at this degree.”
Arnold mentioned it used to be particularly vital to him to play for an offensive-minded head trainer and one with a historical past of training and creating quarterbacks. Freeze mentioned he plans to name the vast majority of the performs this season (even though offensive coordinator Derrick Nix would possibly name some), and Freeze mentioned he’s going to spend extra time with the quarterbacks at the apply box q4.
“[Quarterbacks coach] Kent Austin is excellent,” Freeze mentioned. “From basics and protection reputation and all that, he is higher than I’m, however I believe it’s important that they are listening to my ideas, and I simply suppose q4 it might be much more necessary that Jackson is listening to my ideas.”
As spring apply winds down this week for Auburn, Arnold mentioned his rapport with the receivers grows more potent each and every apply. And for Freeze, he mentioned he has noticed a “enormous distinction” within the receivers, in particular with the addition of transfers Eric Singleton Jr. from Georgia Tech and Horatio Fields from Wake Wooded area.
“We have were given extra intensity, and there is a adulthood issue, too,” Freeze mentioned. “I do know quarterbacks take the brunt of the deal, however there have been occasions that [last year’s starter] Payton [Thorne] used to be in a position to tug the cause on one thing that are supposed to were there and we did not run the precise intensity of a course or the precise course.”
Cam Coleman, who averaged 16.2 yards consistent with catch and had 8 landing receptions a 12 months in the past as some of the extra heralded true freshman receivers within the nation, mentioned his emphasis has been extra consistency. He mentioned all of the receiving corps has taken on a management function to push each and every different and cling each and every different responsible, which wasn’t essentially the case a 12 months in the past.
“Each and every receiver brings one thing other to the desk, and our identification is we are going to catch anything else and the entirety, in anyway as conceivable,” Coleman mentioned. “That is regardless of if we make the quarterback glance just right or the quarterback makes us glance just right. We are going catch the ball and make issues occur.”
Singleton’s pace will have to supplement Coleman’s talent to win one-on-one battles down the sphere, and Malcolm Simmons is similarly explosive. He returns for his sophomore season after catching 40 passes final season. The 6-3 Coleman mentioned he is as much as 205 kilos.
“Excellent good fortune. That is all I will inform any one seeking to quilt him,” Singleton mentioned of Coleman.
Arnold mentioned his function is to come back in and “play level guard” and that Freeze additionally likes his talent to increase performs. The Tigers struggled mightily to attain final season. They completed 14th within the SEC in scoring offense (19.1 issues consistent with recreation) and have been thirteenth in third-down conversions, whilst scoring simply six dashing touchdowns in 8 SEC video games. However they did transfer the ball on offense and completed 2nd within the league in yards consistent with play (6.67 yards). 3 in their seven losses final season have been through a landing or much less.
What plagued the Tigers have been crippling turnovers, arising empty on key 1/3 downs and no longer with the ability to end drives — and even make box targets. They have been 8-of-17 on box objective makes an attempt in SEC play, however the excellent news is that common kicker Alex McPherson is again after lacking virtually all of the previous season a with gastrointestinal problems.
“We are all on this in combination, and I do know for a truth those coaches consider in me and so they know I will do it, and in flip, I have been in a position to play much more,” Arnold mentioned. “Errors are going to occur. No person’s going to be highest, however my self assurance is actually top presently. I am enjoying unfastened and simply being myself.”
Even with the most cancers prognosis, Freeze has additionally felt a way of freedom. His avid gamers have noticed it up shut and private.
“He is out right here on a daily basis, and it offers the entire staff the sense that he cares, and that no matter he is going via, he’ll push via,” junior defensive finish Keldric Faulk mentioned. “It offers us the boldness to simply trip in the back of him.
“The one distinction I see is that he is introduced far more power, and it is contagious to the entire staff.”
Freeze would have a tendency to agree that his most cancers prognosis has helped him to slender his focal point, even though existence as an SEC head soccer trainer has a tendency to have that impact naturally.
“I do not know. I believe up to anything else it is simply been a reminder that on a daily basis is a present, and guy, I’ll give my perfect to those youngsters, my circle of relatives and our lovers,” Freeze mentioned. “That is what I will have to be all for.”
