Auburn: Loaded with Talent and Ready to End the Drought
I have the Auburn Tigers at No. 18 in my preseason Top 25. After a baffling 2024 season where a top-10 statistical team finished with a 5-7 record, head coach Hugh Freeze has doubled down on talent acquisition. By combining a top-10 high school recruiting class with one of the nation’s best transfer hauls, Auburn has assembled an elite receiver room, a five-star quarterback, and a strong offensive line. If they can fix the situational meltdowns that plagued them last year, the Tigers have the firepower to rise up the SEC standings and end their four-year losing season streak.
2024: The Best 5-7 Team in America
How does a team that ranks in the top 20 nationally in both my opponent-adjusted offense and defense metrics finish with a losing record? The answer for the 2024 Tigers was a complete collapse in the margins. They were abysmal in situational football, finishing near the bottom of the country in turnovers, red-zone efficiency, and field goal percentage.
The frustration mounted with each close loss. They lost five turnovers against both California and Arkansas. They blew double-digit fourth-quarter leads to Oklahoma and Missouri. It was a season that proved they had the talent to compete with anyone but lacked the execution to close out games. That has to change in 2025.
Offense: An Elite Arsenal of Weapons
After an offensive stumble in 2023, Freeze and coordinator Derrick Nix engineered a massive turnaround, particularly in the passing game. Now, that unit gets even more firepower. The quarterback room is gone, but in comes former five-star Jackson Arnold from Oklahoma, who is a perfect fit for Freeze’s scheme.
The real story is the receiver room, which has been transformed into one of the best in the nation. The historic 2024 recruiting haul, led by superstar freshman Cam Coleman, is now bolstered by two of the top six transfer receivers in Horatio Fields (Wake Forest) and All-ACC speedster Eric Singleton (Georgia Tech). The offensive line was dominant in the run game (#11 in OL Run Push), returns three starters, and added two four-star transfers. They will pave the way for a running back committee that is a better fit for Freeze’s offensive style.
Defense: Young Stars Poised for a Leap
Coordinator DJ Durkin returns after guiding a top-20 defense that was built on the backs of a youth movement. While the top three linebackers are gone, the defense is loaded with young talent that gained invaluable experience last year.
Corner Jay Crawford and safety Kaleb Harris were named to 247Sports’ All-True Freshman team. Keldric Faulk returns at defensive end after a stellar season and is the unit’s best player. The staff reloaded the linebacker room, and the defensive line is deep with emerging talent. With a second-year coordinator bonus and so many young players ready to take the next step, this defense has the potential to be even better than last year’s group.
The Schedule and the Path
The path for Auburn is clear: turn close losses into wins. With a roster this talented, they can compete with anyone in the SEC. Three early road games against Baylor, Oklahoma, and Texas A&M will be a major test, but also an opportunity. If this team can learn to win on the road and execute in the fourth quarter, they have the talent to vault into the playoff discussion.
Why I’m So Confident
Here’s why Auburn is a team on the rise:
- Top-10 talent acquisition in both high school recruiting and the transfer portal.
- An elite receiver room that is arguably one of the best in the nation.
- A five-star quarterback in Jackson Arnold who is a perfect scheme fit.
- A young, talented defense that is poised for a second-year coordinator bonus.
- Statistical regression to the mean; their turnover and field goal luck is bound to improve.
This team is too talented to win only five games again. At No. 18 in my preseason rankings, Auburn has the firepower and depth to be one of the most improved teams in the country and a true darkhorse in the SEC.
