Auburn football offense suffered from lack of alignment with Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery in 2023

The Auburn football program was disjointed on offense for much of the 2023 season, with Payton Thorne having a handful of sub-100-yard passing games and the running back room having to carry the load with another sub-par performance from the team's receiving corps.

Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery were budding heads during that time, as we've come to learn for certain. Rivals' Brian Stultz broke down the reason why.

"(Freeze being on the same page as his OC) wasn't the case last season when Freeze brought in Philip Montgomery and, for the first time in his career, handed the keys to someone else on offense," Stultz wrote. "Montgomery has had successful offenses in the past, but he and Freeze never seemed to get on the same page regarding terminology and philosophy. Auburn's offense suffered partly due to that, with quarterback play being erratic while the struggles at wide receiver continued."

Auburn football OC Derrick Nix could be the biggest upgrade on the roster

Montgomery being such a bad fit under Freeze that the head coach essentially relegated him from play-calling duties was the biggest thing holding AU back in 2023. Freeze often made a point to let everyone know he was calling plays late in the season while stressing his focus on recruiting when Montgomery was in charge. The friction was palpable.

In Derrick Nix, Freeze has someone he can trust on the trail and on the sidelines. The presence of his long-time assistant at Ole Miss allows Freeze to be more present with his players, unworried about the fact that he isn't aligned with his play-caller in a place where alignment is everything.

Things should look smoother on the field, especially with three returning RBs and an incumbent starter under center that Freeze refuses to give up on in Thorne who loves to call his own number and take off running. Nix's specialty is setting up big plays for wideouts with the run, and the personnel he has at his disposal seems to be aligned with his philosophies.

If the wins start piling up, Nix's name will likely be brought up in many postgame interviews. And maybe he'll get recognition for being the biggest upgrade Freeze brought to his program.