Hugh Freeze reveals impact Walker White had on recruiting other players

One of the reasons Auburn decided to let go of Bryan Harsin was recruiting. He was not stacking up against conference foes and had very little juice throughout the process. While finishing with top 20 classes in the country sounds nice, sometimes, it’s only good enough for eighth in the SEC.

Insert Hugh Freeze, who has brought new energy to Auburn when it comes to recruiting. One of his first big commitments was quarterback Walker White out of Little Rock (AR) Little Rock Christian Academy. White committed in February and from that moment, his goal was to help Freeze assemble one of the best classes in the cycle.

“He’s been so consistent in trying to continue to recruit his team,” Freeze said. “And that’s what you need. You need a couple of those… Walker, he kind of took the ownership and leadership of ‘Hey, let’s put together a top-10 class. That’s what we said we wanted.’ He jumped in and certainly tried every way in the world to help us do that.”

White succeded with his goal, with Auburn likely finishing inside the top 10 of the On3 Industry Team Rankings. They currently have the No. 8 class in the country and even though the late signing window opens in just a few days, the Tigers seem to be all wrapped up.

Most of White’s attention was spent on trying to attract the Freeze Five, a nickname for the five wide receivers Auburn went hard after during the 2024 cycle. Four of them have signed and will begin their college careers on the Plains, with Bryce Cain, Cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons, and Perry Thompson buying into the program.

The lone missing piece is Five-Star Plus+ Ryan Williams, who was a late reclassify from the 2025 class. However, Williams recently reaffirmed his commitment to the in-state rival, Alabama, and is expected to sign with the Crimson Tide. Auburn certainly made a push and almost fully completed the Freeze Five.

Even so, White was able to attract a ton of receiving talent with him to Auburn. It’s been a position the program has struggled with in recent times. High-level quarterbacks have been available but the weapons around them have not always been considered elite.

Landing those four receivers is hopefully going to be a turning point under Freeze. Known for his great offenses, White is hoping to thrive during his time at Auburn. May as well bring some of the country’s top talent along with you.