Auburn football recruiting has experienced ups and downs over the past two years, but there’s been a noticeable overall improvement since Hugh Freeze became head coach.
Auburn secured the No. 10 ranked 2024 recruiting class and currently holds the 15th-best 2025 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
The previous year’s class achieved Auburn’s highest ranking since 2020, highlighted by five-star wide receiver Cam Coleman.
Auburn’s recruiting philosophy is one that Hugh Freeze believes is uncommon in modern college football.
“Building genuine, authentic relationships is important to me. That stands the test of time, and I don’t think money can buy that,” Freeze said at SEC Media Days. “I tell people all the time [Auburn] is one of the last few public universities with a true essence of faith and family.”
Veteran linebacker Eugene Asante echoed these sentiments when speaking to reporters at SEC Media Days.
“When you talk about how the program is run, it’s a faith-based program,” Asante said. “We tell every recruit coming in that it’s a faith-based program. Coach Freeze does a great job of appealing to players’ hearts.”
Asante transferred to Auburn from North Carolina before the 2022 season and chose to remain with the team after head coach Bryan Harsin was fired that same year.
He has since become one of Auburn’s veteran leaders, leading the team in tackles in 2023 with 86.
Eugene Asante on Auburn as a ‘faith-based program’ and Hugh Freeze’s connection to his players and recruits pic.twitter.com/IDVey7Bjtk
— Auburn Tigers | AL.com (@aldotcomTigers) July 18, 2024
Despite his focus on relationship-building in recruiting, Freeze acknowledges the challenges posed by the era of NIL.
“Will I need to adapt and engage in 24-hour recruiting more? I’m not sure. We’ll see if relational coaching can withstand the pressure of the numerous opportunities these young men have,” Freeze said.
Regardless of how the sport evolves, Freeze’s core approach remains consistent.
“I’m much more comfortable recruiting a family and a young man, working with them over several years to help them reach their potential as a player, student, and man,” he said.
