Auburn head football coach Hugh Freeze got a third year despite two losing seasons, and some think he's guaranteed a fourth year.
247 Sports' Brad Crawford is not one of those people.
Crawford predicted Freeze being in a "precarious position" -- and we can assume he meant "on the hot seat" by that -- if transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold doesn't work out following an unsuccessful run at Oklahoma.
"Jackson Arnold arrived at Oklahoma ahead of the 2023 season as a heralded five-star recruit and expected to be a multi-year starter for the Sooners. Instead, he lost his job in the middle of last season to Michael Hawkins Jr. before gaining it back later. However, the damage was done and he left the program for Auburn. Now with the Tigers, Arnold has to be a savior of sorts for Hugh Freeze, who could find himself in a precarious situation if the 2025 season goes south. Arnold is going to have a wealth of wideout talent to aid in this transition," Crawford wrote.
In a way, Crawford was being dismissive of Deuce Knight. The Lucedale, Mississippi product was seen by many as ready for the QB1 role before Freeze made a detour and plucked Arnold from the portal.
Then again, true freshman rarely step in and win many games in the SEC. Knight is supposed to be the future, not the present.
If Arnold isn't the present, it seems as though some believe John Cohen won't give Freeze another chance to find someone who is. Freeze was persistent with Payton Thorne starting and now his first two campaigns as head coach are seen as lost.
Cohen hasn't discussed firing Freeze with the BoT, but public perception is a powerful thing. Let's hope Arnold breaks through and we don't revisit this later this fall.