We were able to meet with Hugh Freeze before he took the podium for SEC Media Days. Here’s a summary…
** On SEC Media Days: I just want to represent our University and our program and our administration and our family in the best way possible.
** Freeze hasn’t been allowed to watch Payton Thorne throw yet. Thorne has good attention to detail, is learning system and being a leader. He has leadership qualities. One of the first questions he asked was for a picture and name of everyone that worked in the building.
** Has challenged Robby Ashford to elevate what it takes to be the quarterback at Auburn. He’s responded mostly positive to that. He hasn’t been in the fire yet so we don’t know how he’s going to respond. I hope he handles it well because we need Robby to win football games.
** On Jarquez Hunter: "I can’t comment on any University policies or procedures.”
** On injured players: OL Jeremiah Wright, OL Kameron Stutts, OL Tate Johnson, WR Malcolm Johnson and CB JD Rhym are all good to go. RB Brian Battie is “going to have to suck it up and go” at the start of fall. Will have to manage Jyaire Shorter’s practice time.
** Really confident about JUCO DL Quientrail Jamison-Travis qualifying for fall camp, not so much about wide receiver Daquayvious Sorey. Love QJT’s tape. Got to have more depth at DL.
** On so many newcomers: Going to have to wear tape on our helmets again to start fall. Never felt quite like this going into camp. Going to lean on assistants to help us capture their hearts. Not everybody can play but we’re going to need everybody on same page for season. That’s a bog challenge for us — formulating a team from so many new faces in a short amount of time.
** Auburn’s program is a work in progress. We really have to stay focused on what we can do today to get better. If we can do that, hopefully there will be big improvement from game 1 to game 12.
** Hired Philip Montgomery to call plays. Freeze felt like at one point he was one of the best play callers in the country, but not as much now. He felt like he needed someone that could perform that task and run an offense at a high level. A gameplan is put together by a lot of people and Freeze will give his input and make calls during games.
** On his biggest surprise inheriting Auburn’s program: It was off of what I expected Auburn’s roster to look like. Recruiting has been tougher than it should be for Auburn and its success and traditions. We battled a lot of things in recruiting that I don’t think are true anymore.
** Freeze: We are as aligned as we’ve ever been speaking of the President, AD and him.
** WR Caleb Burton’s high school tape was special and he’s a transfer for the future. The other guys are 1-year stopgap guys that can help us this year. Love how receivers are working.
** LB DeMario Tolan is dealing with personal family issues. We want to support him and his family.
** Jaden Muskrat improved the offensive line and adds great depth. Can swing outside to tackle if needed.
** Want to get quarterback battle down to two within about 10 days. The three competing right away will be Thorne, Ashford and Holden Geriner. Hank Brown not ready to compete for starting position yet.
** On SEC Media Days: I just want to represent our University and our program and our administration and our family in the best way possible.
** Freeze hasn’t been allowed to watch Payton Thorne throw yet. Thorne has good attention to detail, is learning system and being a leader. He has leadership qualities. One of the first questions he asked was for a picture and name of everyone that worked in the building.
** Has challenged Robby Ashford to elevate what it takes to be the quarterback at Auburn. He’s responded mostly positive to that. He hasn’t been in the fire yet so we don’t know how he’s going to respond. I hope he handles it well because we need Robby to win football games.
** On Jarquez Hunter: "I can’t comment on any University policies or procedures.”
** On injured players: OL Jeremiah Wright, OL Kameron Stutts, OL Tate Johnson, WR Malcolm Johnson and CB JD Rhym are all good to go. RB Brian Battie is “going to have to suck it up and go” at the start of fall. Will have to manage Jyaire Shorter’s practice time.
** Really confident about JUCO DL Quientrail Jamison-Travis qualifying for fall camp, not so much about wide receiver Daquayvious Sorey. Love QJT’s tape. Got to have more depth at DL.
** On so many newcomers: Going to have to wear tape on our helmets again to start fall. Never felt quite like this going into camp. Going to lean on assistants to help us capture their hearts. Not everybody can play but we’re going to need everybody on same page for season. That’s a bog challenge for us — formulating a team from so many new faces in a short amount of time.
** Auburn’s program is a work in progress. We really have to stay focused on what we can do today to get better. If we can do that, hopefully there will be big improvement from game 1 to game 12.
** Hired Philip Montgomery to call plays. Freeze felt like at one point he was one of the best play callers in the country, but not as much now. He felt like he needed someone that could perform that task and run an offense at a high level. A gameplan is put together by a lot of people and Freeze will give his input and make calls during games.
** On his biggest surprise inheriting Auburn’s program: It was off of what I expected Auburn’s roster to look like. Recruiting has been tougher than it should be for Auburn and its success and traditions. We battled a lot of things in recruiting that I don’t think are true anymore.
** Freeze: We are as aligned as we’ve ever been speaking of the President, AD and him.
** WR Caleb Burton’s high school tape was special and he’s a transfer for the future. The other guys are 1-year stopgap guys that can help us this year. Love how receivers are working.
** LB DeMario Tolan is dealing with personal family issues. We want to support him and his family.
** Jaden Muskrat improved the offensive line and adds great depth. Can swing outside to tackle if needed.
** Want to get quarterback battle down to two within about 10 days. The three competing right away will be Thorne, Ashford and Holden Geriner. Hank Brown not ready to compete for starting position yet.
