Hugh Freeze explains the difficulty of evaluating Robby Ashford

Robby Ashford closed the 2022 season for Auburn as the starting quarterback. He put on quite the show in the Iron Bowl against Alabama, using his ability to run in incredible fashion. When Hugh Freeze was brought in to be the head coach, you would think Ashford would have a step forward to winning the job in 2023 due to his style of play.

However, Freeze wants to hit the pause button early in spring practice. There have been limited reps for Ashford in front of the new head coach. If anything, Freeze would like to see him get some game action before understanding the potential Ashford beholds. He will have to wait until September to do, though.

“I haven’t witnessed him in the games, I’ve seen the tapes and stuff,” Freeze said. “I think it’s very hard to evaluate just how good he can be practicing the way we do. It’s just hard for me to answer.”

Hugh Freeze compares Robby Ashford to Malik Willis story

Freeze has experience with an Auburn quarterback whose main strength is being able to pull the ball out and run. Malik Willis transferred to Liberty from the Plains and was considered a work in progress as well. There are similarities between him and Ashford, with Freeze describing the difference between practice and games themselves.

“I remember vividly when we got Malik Willis to Liberty,” Freeze said. “There were no significant snaps of him doing what we wanted to do in the college game. I think he had like 15 snaps in his tenure here and they were all pretty much zone-read…

“Going into that fall camp with Malik, I had no clue if he was going to be a complete player because you don’t evaluate that portion of the game that you’re referring to because the whistle is being blown as soon as he pulls it down. And we get into the first game… Western Kentucky… we’re in the fourth quarter and this guy rips off three throws, pulls down a zone read, runs for 30-40 yards, and looks like a tailback when he ran it.”

Of course, Willis went on to be a selection of the Tennessee Titans in the 2021 NFL Draft. He has even received a few starts and will continue to work on his progression. If there is anyone he can thank at this point, it’s Freeze for helping out while at Liberty.