Hugh Freeze focused on keeping Auburn football healthy in fall camp

Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze is being careful to avoid player injuries ahead of the 2024 season

The Auburn football program is about to head into their second full week of fall camp, and according to head coach Hugh Freeze, things are progressing steadily. He has been pleased with what he has seen so far, but there has been a little chippiness in practice that has made him nervous, even if the roughness has been in the plays rather than in extracurricular situations.

"It has been a little too chippy and unprotective a couple of days," Freeze told reporters Friday morning, before the Tigers took to the practice field, per Auburn Undercover. "And I don't know how to balance that. I guess you can go the route of, you know, not having a lot of contact, but I just don't know that you can win in this league without having some physical practices in camp. And it scares me to death, truthfully, because we need to stay healthy."

Freeze mentioned that he saw the news that Texas Longhorns starting running back CJ Baxter suffered a knee injury in fall camp that will force him to miss the full 2024 season. The Tigers' head coach was concerned with protecting his running backs even before the Baxter news broke, suggesting that Auburn football's RBs may be wearing no contact jerseys during live practices.

Players like quarterback Payton Thorne and linebacker Jalen McLeod were among some of the players that Freeze mentioned would also be in no contact jerseys or have limited live reps. For the rest of fall camp, it will be about balancing productive practices with safety and health.

The Tigers will practice in Jordan-Hare Stadium this Saturday before the preseason kickoff Fan Day in the Athletics Complex that afternoon.