Charles Barkley has strong feelings about Auburn football in 2023 Iron Bowl

There’s no doubt that the Auburn football program is in a rebuilding year. With a new coaching staff led by head coach Hugh Freeze comes new players, new schemes, new coaching styles, and a new attitude about the program as a whole.

Though the Tigers spent spring practice learning about and implementing Freeze’s expectations, they were hard to evaluate due to the horrible, rainy weather. Still, the bar for success is very low for fans after the last two years, and they are expected at least a little improvement from last season’s showing.

Freeze has said that he has some concerns about Auburn football’s current quarterbacks, including TJ Finley, Robby Ashford, and Holden Geriner, surrounding issues with consistency, accuracy, and experience. But there has certainly been progress, and there are clear signs of improvement and that the battling quarterbacks want to lead their team to victory.

However, there is also an expectation that Freeze and the staff will go quarterback hunting during the transfer portal window, which will be open until the end of April, to look for a more experienced, proven QB1 for the 2023 season.

In the opinion of Charles Barkley, spoken on Next Round Live per 1819 News, Freeze is simply holding his cards close to his chest when it comes to the current quarterbacks:

"“I think he’s playing coy, to be honest with you,” Barkley said of Freeze. “I think we’re going to have a really good season. I think he likes our quarterback room. I really do.”"

Furthermore, Barkley believes the Tigers will have a happy ending to their regular season at the end of November when they host the Alabama Crimson Tide for the annual rivalry game:

"“[Alabama is] coming to Auburn this year, brother,” Barkley emphasized. “Hey, they’re coming to Auburn this year. We are ready. We are going to be locked and loaded for the Iron Bowl. I cannot wait.”“It’s going to be an ass-kicking coming when they come down to the Plains,” he added."

This year’s Iron Bowl will take place on November 25, and the Tide will come down to the Plains prepared to play the Tigers in their first rivalry game of the Hugh Freeze era.