JD PicKell: Hugh Freeze’s track record makes Auburn a destination

Auburn has made some significant transfer additions since hiring Hugh Freeze from Liberty to start the offseason. And On3’s J.D. PicKell thinks it was only natural that players would be lining up to play in a proven offensive system.

From his work on the field at Ole Miss to churning out high-level offenses at Liberty, Freeze has developed winning offensive systems. He and his staff aren’t selling recruits a theory, but a track record.

“Hugh Freeze has proven in his offense you have a chance to score a lot of points, catch the eyes of NFL scouts and go achieve whatever you want to achieve,” PicKell said. “This is not a first-year staff that you’re having to bet on and see, ‘Mmm, maybe they’re going to be able to prove themselves and maybe just maybe I can accomplish for the first time something under this staff.’ That’s not the pitch here. You’ve seen what Hugh Freeze has done at multiple stops. At Ole Miss and at Liberty. He develops guys, they score a lot of points. Fun place to play. Fun coach to play for. That’s what Hugh Freeze is able to sell right now.”

To wit, eight of the 11 seasons that Freeze has been an FBS head coach, his team has fielded a Top 50 total offense. One of the three seasons he didn’t — 2013 at Ole Miss — the Rebels finished No. 56 in total offense.

Plus, PicKell noted, Freeze has staff members like Philip Montgomery. The offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Tigers now under Freeze, Montgomery has coached quarterbacks like Case Keenum and Robert Griffin III in college.

With that offensive infrastructure and brain trust, it’s easy to understand why Auburn could land the likes of Payton Thorne and Caleb Burton out of the transfer portal.

“That’s a selling point. Especially for a lot of these guys. Because, I promise you if you play in the SEC, the goal is to go play in the NFL. The goal is to have success in the SEC, absolutely, but you want to go play professionally,” PicKell said. “So when it comes to picking a school, you’re looking at where you can get developed. The track record of development for this team, for this staff, is solid.”

One last thing working in Auburn’s favor, though it has little to do with the current coaching staff, is that the Tigers have competed for national championships in recent memory.

Recent enough for recruits to remember when Auburn was at the top of the sport.

“You’ve seen it with your own eyes,” PicKell said. “So you’re not just going to come to Auburn and have a miserable time. Come be a part of the turnaround. Get Auburn back to where it’s supposed to be. Let’s go win a lot of ball games. Because it’s been done before here and you’ve seen it. Let’s go do it again.”