Paul Finebaum Gives Blunt Reality Check to Hugh Freeze Amid Auburn’s Recruiting Woes

Paul Finebaum Gives Blunt Reality Check to Hugh Freeze Amid Auburn’s Recruiting Woes originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

Head coach Hugh Freeze looks to be one of the top names on the hot seat heading into the 2025 college football season. Two seasons of six wins or fewer have led the media to suggest that seven wins or fewer may not be enough to save his job.

The Auburn Tigers have seen an uptick in recruiting under Freeze, landing top 10 classes in the last two seasons. The 2026 class has taken some hits over the past month, with the Tigers tumbling down to No. 80 in the past two weeks after being ranked in the top 20, according to On3, following several commits flipping.

It has resulted in questions being asked and a reality check from SEC Network's Paul Finebaum. Speaking on 'McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning', the controversial analyst gave his opinion on the situation on the Plains and how the excuses from the last two years need to stop.

"Hugh Freeze has had a couple of seasons where recruiting looked to be on fire, and now it doesn't, Finebaum said. "Let's quit going back and blaming everything on Bryan Harsin; that has to end. That's a terrible message from Cohen (Auburn AD); it's a terrible message from Freeze. They need to sell themselves and quit blaming other people, and if they keep pushing this narrative, I'm not going to say it's going to blow up in their face; it has blown up in their face."

Finebaum also said that they must change the narrative around the program. Alongside recruiting taking a hit, their rival, the Alabama Crimson Tide, has seen its spike rapidly, which heaps pressure on Freeze and Cohen. It's going to take some effort, and with recruiting down, they will need on-field results to be much better in 2025 to help save their jobs.  

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.