Freeze ‘uneasy’ as Auburn opens camp

Alex Scarborough, ESPN

• Personnel WriterAug 3, 2023, 10:45 AM ET Close Covers the SEC.Joined ESPN
• in 2012.
• Graduate of Auburn University.Auburn first-year coach Hugh Freeze opened

  preseason camp Thursday with a remaining sense of doubt since of all the brand-new players who weren’t with the team during the spring, including eight transfers.” It makes me feel a little bit distressed that I may be behind in

  our evaluation of who we are and what we can do,”Freeze told reporters.” Perhaps we are. That’s a sensation I have to fight.” Freeze believes that aggressively rebuilding the lineup like the school did throughout the offseason was”the best thing.”Now, he said, the players need to”rush and catch up. “Editor’s Picks 1 Associated Amongst the late additions is former Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne, who is expected to complete

for the starting job.”This is the most uncomfortable fall camp I’m going into and it’s due to the fact that of this brand-new world [of roster turnover]

,”Freeze said.”We had players we added after spring ball, and one’s a quarterback and I have not coached him a single practice and everyone’s asking,’What do you think?’I have no idea. “Freeze stated he’s “delighted”to see the quarterbacks compete.Last season’s starter, Robby Ashford, is back, in addition to redshirt freshman Holden Geriner and true freshman Hank Brown.Freeze stated the group wants to narrow the quarterback competition to two rapidly, but he wouldn’t lay out a precise timetable for his decision.”I’m not sure we can’t win games with several of them,”

he said.Just since Auburn will have a Week 1 starter does not imply that choice will be conclusive, he added.” How that plays out– heck, it may be three games into the season before we understand this is absolutely the man we need to roll with,” he stated. “I hope it’s not that, but it might be.”Freeze has a history of getting the most out of the quarterback position. At Ole Miss, Bo Wallace two times tossed for more than 3,000 lawns. Wallace’s follower, Chad Kelly, tossed for 4,042 lawns in 2015. At Liberty, Freeze coached 2022 third-round choice Malik Willis.Freeze was employed away from Liberty in late November.Auburn fired previous coach Bryan Harsin eight games into last season and ended up with a 5-7 record. Former interim coach Cadillac Williams was retained by Freeze as associate head coach and running backs coach.Auburn is scheduled to open the season in your home versus UMass on Sept. 2.