Former Alabama Star QB Calls BS on Hugh Freeze's Bold Claim as Hot Seat Chatter Gets Louder

Former Alabama Star QB Calls BS on Hugh Freeze's Bold Claim as Hot Seat Chatter Gets Louder originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

There is no love lost between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers.

Since 1893, the two SEC powers have locked horns annually in the Iron Bowl, with Alabama holding a 51-37-1 record. The yearly tradition has kept the competitive flame burning, but usual offseason banter will have fans counting down the days before the two programs battle on the gridiron.

On Wednesday, it was former Alabama great AJ McCarron taking shots at Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze following his comments regarding NIL.

Last week, Freeze made headlines after claiming that opposing teams within the conference are not adhering to the NIL rules established by Congress and the NCAA. According to 247Sports, Auburn has failed to stack its recruiting class in 2026, ranking 78th nationally. The former Liberty Flames and Ole Miss Rebels coach hinted that other programs are falsely promising inordinate NIL deals, which will not be honored come signing day.

McCarron blasted Freeze during a segment of The Dynasty Podcastwith Trent Richardson and Chris Stewart, calling the Auburn frontman a liar.

"I think Hugh Freeze is trying to do whatever he can to save face. He's starting to feel pressure at Auburn, going into his third year, not having the success that the alumni, the boosters, and everybody donating a lot of money thought he would have by this point. I think he's trying to figure out and scramble on why they are not successful," said McCarron.

McCarron, who led Alabama to two national titles during his four-year tenure, emphasized that the state of Alabama primarily backs the Tide, giving them an influx of NIL money. Alabama trails just the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Texas A&M Aggies, Georgia Bulldogs, and USC Trojans in 2026 recruiting rankings, per 247Sports. 

Related: Alabama Receives Exciting Update on 5-Star EDGE

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.