Hugh Freeze downplays incoming Auburn football stars' impact, drops hint on what offense will look like

Hugh Freeze heavily pushed the run as a focal point for the Auburn football offense in 2024 during his appearance at SEC Media Days in Dallas, Texas. In the process, he downplayed the potential impact of his incoming stars at WR, Cam Coleman and Perry Thompson.

Freeze openly wondered why RB1 Jarquez Hunter wasn't being spoken of more by national talking heads.

“You would hope it’s that because when you can do that you have a little control over the clock and the game and then kind of how things are going so it may be me wishing that and hoping that, but I like our like our running back room and I like our O-line and our tight ends,” Freeze said on July 18 (h/t AL.com).

"I’m kinda shocked no one is talking about him and I’m okay with that and I’m sure he doesn’t seek anything like that anyways. I think he’s had one heck of an offseason — looks great and I love that whole room.”

Meanwhile, even while speaking highly of Coleman and Thompson, Freeze pushed the run agenda.

“They look the right part and they’re going to be critical into our success,” Freeze said (h/t On3). “We’ve gotta stay balanced, you’ve gotta run the football in this league."

Auburn football offense dependent on Payton Thorne's development

Perhaps it's Hunter who will be the decoy for Payton Thorne, the Tigers' starting quarterback who has seen more success running the ball than he has airing it out in Auburn thus far. Freeze may be keeping the hype down on Coleman, Thompson, and the rest of the Freeze Four, who could take a backseat in an option-heavy attack.

Or, in a worst-case scenario, Thorne could find himself replaced under center for a completely unproven option. CBS Sports' Brad Crawford provided that as his hot take for the Tigers program in 2024.

We don't know exactly how things will go, but we do know that AU is going to grind for yardage this Fall; as has been the case for most of the school's history.