As AL.com's Joseph Goodman relayed, Hugh Freeze had to change his strategy and switch from developing talent in the transfer portal quickly after the results of the 2024 season: 5-7 and uncompetitive showings against rivals like Georgia and Alabama, but also less talented teams like Vanderbilt and Cal.
"There was a time not too long ago during the rebuild down on the Plains when Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said he wanted to develop his team the old fashioned way, by recruiting high school players and crafting a culture over time. After a clumsy season and a 5-7 record, the plan has changed," Goodman wrote.
"And with it, so, too, has the timeline of Auburn’s window for being a team that can compete for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
"For the Tigers, the time is War Damn Now."
Freeze has lost over 20 transfers but has gained 14. The incoming talent figures to play big roles in Freeze and Derrick Nix's offense and DJ Durkin's defense. Many of the outbound departures were buried on the depth chart.
There's been big wins and only minor losses through that lens.
Hugh Freeze doing bang-up job retaining talent on his Auburn football roster
Perhaps even more impressive than Freeze bringing on new transfer portal talent is keeping his 2024 blue chips on board after a worst-case-scenario campaign. The Freeze Four, DeMarcus Riddick, and Amaris Williams, among others, could've justifiably taken a nice paycheck elsewhere.
Instead, Freeze sold them on the culture results. That may just be as important as a proof of concept on the field.
As Freeze continues to build his program, he'll need a healthy mix of developing high school talents and proven upperclassmen. So far, it looks like he'll maintain the former and reel in the latter this offseason.