Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze's No. 1 question heading into fall camp
Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze shares the biggest question he'd like to address ahead of the 2024 season
Fall camp started on August 1st for the Auburn football program, and we are just a few short weeks away from the start of the 2024 season, the second season on the Plains under head coach Hugh Freeze.
The program looks a lot different than it did a year ago. There are many new staffers, including new coordinators on either side of the ball. The arrival of new offensive coordinator Derrick Nix is a big deal because of what it means in terms of gameplanning. Whereas last season the offensive gameplanning was mostly up to former OC Phillip Montgomery and was a system Freeze was unfamiliar with, Freeze has previously worked with Nix and understands the language and the system.
While the fans' biggest questions may revolve around the progression of returning quarterback Payton Thorne, Freeze is pointing to two different position groups with a question as the Tigers prepare for the fall.
"If you had asked me what the key to this season will be, I really think it will be: How well do our young DBs and young receivers play?" Freeze said, per Auburn Undercover. "Obviously, let's take out staying healthy; you need to stay healthy at those key positions."
Freeze has repeatedly told the media that over the offseason the Tigers have definitely improved the talent level on the roster, but he can't say how well that will translate onto the field, and that's primarily because there is so much talent and potential found in Auburn football's younger players.
The wide receiver position group has been completely revamped. Transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith will be a vital veteran presence in the room, which is headlined by 5-star Cam Coleman, Perry Thompson, and the other members of the Freeze 4.
Meanwhile, the Tigers' secondary will be full of new starters after losing a trio of DBs to the NFL Draft last year. Returners Keionte Scott and Kayin Lee will be big players in that position group with transfer Jerrin Thompson bringing in plenty of experience.
It's a good question for Hugh Freeze to ask as Auburn football fans hope for the best this season, but the Tigers still have a couple weeks of practice to iron out the kinks.