Auburn football has faced a challenging June on the recruiting front, with the Tigers slipping significantly in national rankings. The program lost several commitments from its 2026 recruiting class, causing its position to plummet to as low as No. 89 in the 247Sports team recruiting rankings. Amid this downturn, head coach Hugh Freeze found himself the target of criticism—not for recruiting missteps, but for his apparent love of golf.
Between June 1 and June 24, Freeze recorded 10 rounds of golf on the USGA’s GHIN handicap tracking system—more than any other college coach who publicly logs their scores. This sparked backlash from fans and media, who questioned his focus during a crucial recruiting stretch.
Freeze addressed the criticism during a recent episode of David Pollack’s See Ball Get Ball podcast. He defended his golf outings, explaining they never interfered with his coaching duties.
“I do love golf, and I enjoy playing to get away, but what people don’t realize is that I never missed a camp day or a recruiting day,” Freeze said. “If camp ends at three and Jill and I head out at 4:30, we might absolutely do that—and I’m not going to apologize for it.”
He emphasized that his commitment remains firmly with Auburn’s football program and his priority is on building a winning team this fall. Freeze pointed out that recruiting rankings are likely fueling the current scrutiny. “We’ve been top 10 in recruiting during my first two years here. Right now, we’re not.”
Currently ranked 78th for the 2026 class, Auburn has seen four decommitments since June. Freeze touched on the reasons behind the program’s recent recruiting struggles, pointing to broader changes within college football, particularly those related to the recent House Settlement.
“There’s a lot of people right now operating under a different interpretation of what this settlement allows,” he noted. “I’m going to operate in the manner our administration has interpreted it.”
In essence, Freeze believes that while others may be pushing the limits in how they engage recruits—especially with the new rules around revenue sharing—he’s choosing to stay within Auburn’s framework. Though the recruiting dip is noticeable, Freeze remains confident in his approach and focus heading into the 2025 season.