Paul Finebaum Names Prominent SEC Coach Who Needs to Change the Direction of the Program originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The 2025 college football season is an opportunity for coaches to leave past seasons behind and make progress.
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The Auburn Tigers and head coach Hugh Freeze are hoping to turn their fortunes around this season. The Tigers are currently facing a four-season losing streak, with two of those seasons occurring under Freeze’s leadership. Prior to this current streak, Auburn had not experienced a losing streak this long since suffering five consecutive losing seasons from 1946 to 1950.
On “The Paul Finebaum Show,” the SEC Network analyst stated that while it’s positive that Freeze and his bosses are highlighting their successful recruiting efforts, the program’s direction needs to be changed.
Auburn Tigers head football coach Hugh Freeze.© John Reed-Imagn Images
“I keep hearing, he and his boss, promising things will change in recruiting,” Finebaum said. “But really, the most important thing is changing the win/loss record.”
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There is reason to be optimistic that Auburn is re-establishing itself as a legitimate program. The Tigers finished with the No. 8-ranked transfer portal class and made several key additions, including quarterback Jackson Arnold from Oklahoma and wide receiver Eric Singleton Jr. from Georgia Tech.
Arnold, a former five-star prospect, was a first-year starter last season at Oklahoma. His season proved to be challenging, as the Sooners were without their top five wide receivers for much of the year and faced issues with a banged-up offensive line. Despite these difficulties, he finished the season with 1,421 passing yards, 12 touchdowns, and three interceptions over the course of 10 games.
Singleton Jr. had a remarkable season at Georgia Tech, finishing with 754 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He was also ranked among the top five players in the transfer portal.
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Freeze has done a commendable job recruiting in the high school ranks over the past two seasons, successfully landing back-to-back top 10 classes. In contrast, Auburn managed to secure only one top 10 class in the five years prior to Freeze’s arrival. However, this season has seen a decline, with the Tigers ranked No. 78 in recruiting.
Auburn will begin its season at 8 p.m. ET on Aug. 29, playing against the Baylor Bears away from home.
Related: Paul Finebaum Names Major College Football Coach Whose Record is ‘Terrible’
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
