Auburn football HC Hugh Freeze sees bright future ahead for freshman QB Walker White

Auburn football's youngest quarterback is doing everything correctly in his first year on the Plains

One of Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze's earliest and biggest recruiting wins on the Plains was the commitment of 4-star quarterback Walker White. From Little Rock, Arizona, White was widely expected to choose Clemson on decision day, but shocked the world when he committed to Freeze and the Tigers.

Securing a quality quarterback paved the way for many other big recruiting wins in the 2024 class, from Demarcus Riddick to Perry Thompson to Cam Coleman and more. White also played a big part on the recruiting trail, actively going after his peers to recruit them to the Plains.

Of course, White arrived at Auburn behind Hank Brown, Holden Geriner, and Payton Thorne, and it was no surprise that White was designated as the scout team QB in his first year. The Tigers' head coach reported it has not been easy to work on the true freshman's development this fall.

“It’s a challenge,” Freeze said, per Auburn Tigers on SI. “The good thing is, Walker is a self-motivator, and he doesn’t have to be asked to do work. He’s going to stay after with you and get some extra work in with footwork drills and different drills that the quarterback coaches have for him. As far as getting quality reps this time of year is very difficult.”

According to Freeze, spring practice is when he looks forward to working more with White and seeing what he can do after his first year.

"Typically for guys that are young, talented quarterbacks like him — I know that everybody wants to play now — but the norm has never been that, particularly at the quarterback position," he said, per Auburn Undercover. "It's usually that second spring that they truly start coming into their own."