By: Joe Delaney

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

Well, let’s get right to the Grits…….The Auburn Tigers stunk it up last year.

Only a 13-10 win over a woefully underachieving Texas A&M team kept them out of the cellar of the SEC West.

They came limping into the 2022 season after a bowl loss the previous December to HOUSTON…..yes HOUSTON.

Head coach Bryan Harsin needed to make it happen. It didn’t and he was soon long gone. The powers that be in the loveliest village on the plain have routinely had issues getting the coaching staff act together.

And that includes the fat cat alumni, who, while well intentioned, contributed to the coaching carousel that has been Auburn football lately.  The record proves it.

Hopefully, a seasoned and revitalized Hugh Freeze can give the Tigers stability. Hugh needs time to get things into place. The Auburn family need to think progress, progress, and progress. Tiny steps in the right direction every day. It can be done. Let’s look at the first baby steps.

The roster at the end of the 2022 season was subpar to SEC standards and it showed.

Sure, Auburn had some very good players but overall the gap between the Alabamas, Georgias, and LSUs was widening.

In steps Hugh Freeze, who is no stranger to the ins and outs of SEC recruiting and the transfer portal, was able to bring in a top 20 rated recruiting class and maybe just as important a top 10 rated transfer portal group. The man means business and it showed immediately. Baby steps, baby step.

Next, Freeze brought in Phillip Montgomery to OC the offense and Ron Roberts as the DC but KEPT Cadillac Williams as Associate Head coach and running backs coach.

Cadillac served as the interim head coach at the end of 2022 and he is loved on the Plains. Keeping him was key. No one loves their school more than the Cadillac and the Auburn fan base knows it. He rallied the team and the town when they were at the lowest point last season.

Freeze knows how to turn a program into a winner. He’s done it before and can surely do it at Auburn. Give him a couple of years and he will close the gap with the big boys. He’s that good of a coach. Just keep your nose clean Coach and the sky is the limit.

So, let’s look at what’s happening in the ‘here and now’ with this group of Tigers starting with the offense.

Auburn brings back 2 starters from an offense that ranked near the bottom of the SEC with a 24.8 PPG.

One of those starters is Robby Ashford, who may or may not start under center against Massachusetts.

He was 123-250 for 1613 YDS and 7 TDS and 7 interceptions. He also rushed for 710 YDS and 7 TDS. Compare those statistics with most of the SEC QBS and its easy to understand a 5-7 record.

My money is on Payton Thorne, the former starter at Michigan State who transferred in. He gives the Tigers a true arm back there and while he’s not the RPO threat that Ashford is. He doesn’t need to be with the Auburn running back room in good shape.

That running back room is led by Jarquez Hunter who averaged 6.5 YPC last year. Looks like a play action duo with Thorne and Hunter to me.

And when the Auburn QB, whoever it is, pulls that ball out and wants to spin it, he will have some veteran wideouts to throw to in Camden Brown, Ja’Varrius Johnson, and Koy Moore.

Then line up portal TE Rivaldo Fairweather and hey, we got something here! This offense has all the tools with the skill positions to be much better this year.

The offensive line will be revamped and should be better. Kam Stutts returns at RG and veteran O-linemen Dillon Wade, Avery Jones, and Gunner Britton came over in that great portal class and should make this line SEC solid.

On the defensive side the Tigers have a ton of returning starters including Marcus Harris, Jayson Jones Jr., Cam Riley, Nehemiah Pritchett, D J James, Zion Puckett, Donovan Kaufman, and former Frederica Academy standout Jaylin Simpson.

The defensive line for the Tigers should be solid. And transfers Justin Rogers, Lawrence Johnson, and Mosiah Nasili-Kite should either start or add needed depth.

The backers need to help Riley out a little more. He was the one stud in the lineup for Auburn. He gets portal help and veteran assistance from 5 or 6 more backers. Once again Hugh Freeze stepped in and got the Tigers either starters or depth here.

The defensive backs should be one of the better units in the league. All 5 of the DBs have started at one time or the other. Pritchett and DJ James return at the corners while Kelonte Scott and Donovan Kaufman return at the STAR. Throw in Zion Puckett and St. Simon’s Jaylin Simpson at the safeties and it’s on.

This unit should play much better this year. With the returning starters and incoming talent there is no reason for the Tigers to give up 29.5 PPG. Ron Roberts has got some great pieces to the puzzle. He just got to put it together.

Special teams are just that at Jordan-Hare. They are always solid and this year should be no different. Alex McPherson was ranked as the best high school kicker in the country in 2021. His older brother is doing the kicking for the Bengals……..Cincinnati not LSU. Oscar Chapman returns to punt and had a 43.8 average last year.

And remember one more portal addition to the team in Brian Battle. The transfer is an electric return man.

The schedule is daunting as usual. Texas A&M, LSU, and Arkansas on the road. Georgia, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, at home.

And 0hhhh I almost forgot, the year-ender with Bama.

This is a transitional year for Auburn. Will they give Hugh Freeze the time needed to right the ship? I hope so. A great year would be 8 wins and a nice bowl.

It’s doable if some things fall into place. Do that and watch the recruiting and portal go nuclear for Hugh and the boys next year.

The guy is a good coach and has what it takes to bring back the Tigers. But it will take time and baby steps, baby steps.

WAR DAMN EAGLE!