Auburn football projected to be College Football Playoff contender in 2025
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"I think we'll know when we have the '24 and '25 (recruiting) class, if we're not in that top 10 range they'll probably be firing me in year four or year five."
That's what Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said to ESPN's Heather Dinich about the trajectory of the Tigers' recruiting underneath his watch.
READ: Hugh Freeze is revitalizing Auburn football's recruiting
"I think everybody knows (Auburn AD John Cohen and president Christopher Roberts) gotta give us a chance to get a couple top classes in here. If we don't do that, and are able to still win, it would be a miracle. How anybody really closes it on those two ... the challenge is tall. The '24 and '25 class are going to be critical."
In Freeze's first season on the Plains, Auburn landed the No. 18 class nationally. It's a starting point for certain but if Auburn is going to rise back to where it was just a few short seasons ago, they'll need recruiting to improve significantly.
Brad Crawford of 247 Sports recently wrote future rankings for college football, detailing how he believes the top 25 will look over the next three seasons.
According to the article, it might be a good idea to invest in Hugh Freeze while the opportunity is still available.
In this upcoming season, Crawford says the Tigers will be a borderline Top 25 team. In 2024, a top 25 team, and in 2025 Hugh Freeze and Auburn will be an expanded college football playoff contender.
The SEC is expected to become more competitive with its expansion, but Auburn's draw may still offer an affordable buy-in price for investors. Freeze has a history of success in the league with Ole Miss and has consistently been able to recruit talented players. Despite this, he has not had the opportunity to showcase his abilities with the resources available at Auburn.
Auburn Undercover's Nathan King sounded off in the article on the revitalization of the program, and what the Tigers' trajectory is heading into 2025:
"Freeze salvaged the Tigers’ 2023 class back into the top 20 nationally, and now the kind of talent Auburn is getting on campus — and is actually a contender for — is more akin to where the program was under Gus Malzahn," King said. "Can Freeze be an even better recruiter than Malzahn? Maybe. He’s made it his No. 1 priority as head coach, and has been steady in his message that the 2024 and 2025 classes are going to shape Auburn’s trajectory as a program heading into a new SEC and an expanded College Football Playoff."
The foundation is being laid for Auburn. Now, as we wade into the offseason, we will be given more answers as to how the next recruiting class for Hugh Freeze will improve upon what has been started.
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