JD PicKell: Auburn's NIL commitment helping Hugh Freeze build competitive roster

There’s a significant rebuilding project underway on The Plains after Bryan Harsin‘s tumultuous tenure, but Auburn‘s NIL commitment could help speed things along as Hugh Freeze gets settled in.

The Tigers reportedly have one of the more streamlined and efficient NIL operations in place, according to On3’s JD PicKell.

“I think it also is worth mentioning from people I’ve talked to that are in the NIL world, Auburn got their ducks in a row when it comes to the NIL world,” PicKell said on Wednesday. “They’ve got their ducks in a row to get top players to come and be a part of what Hugh Freeze is doing there.”

The Tigers were among the more active players in the NCAA transfer portal this offseason, something that might have been more achievable thanks to Auburn’s NIL commitment.

It’s hard to pin down exactly what kind of NIL deals players who arrived might get, but Auburn took a sizeable class from the NCAA transfer portal, landing 18 players this offseason. Several will be counted on to contribute right away.

Among the more notable additions are LSU linebacker DeMario Tolan, East Carolina offensive lineman Avery Jones, Ohio State receiver Caleb Burton and Michigan State quarterback Peyton Thorne.

“So if an Auburn fan here, I’m just saying, that encourages me, because that just means that we have an operation, an outfit at Auburn, that is not just pretending that modern college football is the same as it was in 2004,” PicKell said. “We’re advancing with the times. We’re evolving.

“From what I’ve seen in the NIL world, in the transfer portal world, the schools that are successful in it are the schools that are running when the gun goes off. What I mean by that is it’s not going to be a slow as molasses, eventually get with the times. No, we’ve got people that care about football, that are willing to put money into football and that are willing to evolve with NIL and to be on the front row of the battlefield there and pushing forward for NIL with Auburn.”

Should Auburn’s NIL commitment carry forward beyond just this offseason, Freeze will have some weapons in his arsenal as he looks to turn Auburn into a feared SEC West contender yet again.

It’s been a minute for the Tigers.

“I don’t know exactly how that factors into this portal class, but I have a hard time believing it plays zero factor,” PicKell said of NIL. “I was told there’s a lot of smart people and a lot of good money in place to do good things at Auburn.”