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Hugh Freeze discusses how Auburn's 2023 signing class helps set the tone for the future

Barkley-Truaxby:Barkley Truax12/26/22

BarkleyTruax

Auburn HC Hugh Freeze
Austin Perryman | AU Athletics

Hugh Freeze was named Auburn head coach just weeks before 2022 National Signing Day, and had the pleasure of making sure the Tigers didn’t lose commitment amid coaching changes. That was no easy task, and Freeze had one simple pitch to sell his 2023 recruiting class.

“I tried to sell that to these kids, to be part of the resurgence. To be a part of the first group to do it whether you’re a transfer guy or whether you’re a high school guy, you’re setting the tone for the future,” Freeze said during his National Signing Day press conference. “They’re setting the tone with the returning guys.”

It’s always going to be an interesting dynamic to see players transferring into the program with full intentions of taking a starting spot over a potential returning player. Those moves can cause friction within a program, but Freeze is dead set on making both parties comfortable as he completes his first recruiting class as Auburn head coach.

“It’s going to be us blending [returning and incoming players together], but there’s no doubt that this class is providing a boost to our depth chart and to our roster,” Freeze said. “And so, they have to be a foundational piece of it and hopefully we have some great leaders at some positions that can even bring some of those younger guys along.”

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Auburn was able to complete a top-20 recruiting class during the early singing period featuring seven four-star recruits headlined by the No. 90 overall recruit in the class, per the On3 Consensus, EDGE Keldric Faulk.

Freeze has dipped his toes in the transfer portal as well. As of Christmas, he’s signed three players including TE Rivaldo Fairweather, LB Elijah McAllister and OT Dillon Wade. All three will look to jump right into the mix and make a splash in their first season with the Tigers.

The transfer portal will certainly begin play a larger role in Freeze’s recruiting efforts as Auburn’s offseason begins. The new Auburn headman is just getting started on the plains.