Hugh Freeze is entering the 2025 season in probably the worst imaginable time in his life. On one hand, he is entering the season with heavy criticism leveled for his past two seasons’ performances. For instance, in the last two seasons, the head coach has compiled an 11-13 record and finished 5-7 last season. What’s more perplexing is his recruiting exploits, in which he excelled, but those recruiting inroads failed to translate into on-field results. On the other hand, the head coach is facing personal health problems. The question is: how will the head coach navigate both successfully?
Apart from the appalling record the head coach has achieved in the two seasons, his offense has also greatly underperformed. For instance, last year, with Payton Thorne being Auburn’s QB, the team ranked 13th bottom in total offense in the SEC with just 374.8 yards per game. The woes were then further fueled by Auburn’s multiple close losses. For instance, they lost 21-14 to a struggling Oklahoma team and later lost to Missouri 21-27. This enraged fans even more, and that’s why Freeze’s third season becomes crucial in terms of on-field results. But then came the health concerns.
Hugh Freeze, 55, in this off-season, was diagnosed with an early form of prostate cancer, and this led fans to speculate that the head coach might not be at his full capacity in the season. However, later reports revealed that the cancer was a “slow, aggressive” type, according to doctors, and wouldn’t require immediate medical attention. Still, despite the revelation, the speculations weren’t dying down, but now Hugh Freeze himself has cleared the air regarding managing the team while battling cancer.
Freeze dismissed all the rumors that the diagnosis will anyway affect him and has decided to wait until the 2025 season ends to undergo surgery if required. “I’m in a good place, and I feel the same way about our football team,” Freeze said to ESPN. “It’s the most settled since we’ve been here.” Even the doctors have stressed that the cancer is manageable for at least 6 months, and there are no immediate health concerns. However, the head coach will still have to tackle the mental aspect of it.
Freeze initially had the option to undergo surgery in June 2025 or next year in January 2026. The head coach dismissed rumors that he was doing it because of the team pressure and simply highlighted that he didn’t want to rush into the deed. “I’m only 55. We’re a family of faith, and I just didn’t feel like it was time to rush into surgery.” As for tackling the mental side of it? The head coach seems ready to do that, too.
“Doesn’t think it’s a big difference in June or January, other than can I handle it, the mental side of it? And I said, ‘Doc, the only time I think about it is when you call me.’” The resilience shown by Freeze will be an inspiration not only for the team but maybe for the fans too. As for the results in the 2025 season?
The head coach has repeatedly reiterated that he needs at least 3 full recruiting classes to finally do what he came to do at Auburn: to win. Now, with the 2025 class, the three cycles are complete, and the class also looks stellar. Deuce Knight came in as a five-star quarterback, ranked 5th nationally. Then there is Malik Autry, the 7th-ranked DL in the country. Lastly, Freeze has brought in a whopping 20 transfers, including the well-touted QB Jackson Arnold, who had a 1,421 passing and 444 rushing yards season at Oklahoma last year. All in all, the talent is there, and the head coach is also looking confident to finally take the next step despite the cancer diagnosis. That’s real resilience, right?
Hugh Freeze shows faith in Jackson Arnold amid failure rumors
While Jackson Arnold came with higher expectations in the 2025 season at Auburn, some of his struggles last year still can’t be ignored. For instance, the QB played 10 and started 9 games for Oklahoma last year, but his inconsistent performances were all over the season, and he had just one 200+ yard game. Moreover, against opponents like Missouri, Arnold struggled and finished with just 74 yards. The apprehensions are more than apparent about his performance at Auburn in 2025.
Hugh Freeze, in a recent interview with ESPN, was asked a similar thing about Arnold and how his struggles can risk Auburn’s season. The head acknowledged the struggles but still didn’t doubt Arnold’s abilities. “I know it didn’t go the way he wanted at Oklahoma, but you watch him spin it and the way he can extend plays, and he’s exactly what we were looking for,” said Hugh Freeze.
If Auburn needs to take the next step in the SEC, then Arnold needs to perform, at least initially, in the season. This is because they have another talent in freshman Deuce Knight, who might need some backup experience to finally break in. But given his talent, he can also function as a reliable QB at least later in the season, if Jackson Arnold fails to perform.
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