On Tuesday, head coach Hugh Freeze and three gamers traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, to symbolize Auburn on the 2023 SEC Media Days.
One widespread ingredient echoed by Freeze and the gamers picked to symbolize the Tigers was {that a} new mindset and vitality has taken over Auburn’s locker room, which was one in every of Freeze’s first targets he wished to realize when he arrived on the Plains as he wished to “rewire the way in which we predict.”
Offensive guard Kam Stutts, who’s taking part in beneath his third head coach in 5 years at Auburn, backed up his new head coach and is seeing a brand new tradition Freeze has put in since taking on for former head coach Bryan Harsin.
Stutts additionally tipped his hat to Freeze for even putting in the tradition into newcomers from the switch portal and highschool as 21 gamers from the portal transferred to Auburn, tied for the seventh-most within the nation.
“I believe he’s doing a very good job simply specializing in the main points and constructing that tradition, getting all people to purchase in,” Stutts mentioned. “A lot of new guys, so simply constructing these relationships has been actually necessary.”
As part of a close to full teaching workers turnover, Freeze introduced Jake Thornton to Auburn to educate the offensive line. Thornton spent the earlier two seasons because the offensive line coach at Ole Miss, and Stutts is seeing a possible beginning offensive line that might characteristic all upperclassmen purchase in to the brand new coach.
“He (Thornton) is doing a very good job of speaking with us and giving us these instruments to achieve success on the O-line,” Stutts mentioned. “Everytime you bought some older guys, you might have a bit bit extra freedom of issues you are able to do and trigger we are able to make on our personal and simply utilizing these instruments to assist us achieve success on the sector. So, he’s executed job.”
Tight finish Luke Deal, who like Stutts is coming into his fifth season at Auburn and was delivered to SEC Media Days, voiced the identical factor Stutts did, saying the staff is “very targeted within the second.”
This mindset of not trying forward or behind is a testomony the veteran tight finish gave Freeze credit score for.
“That is one thing that I believe Coach Freeze has introduced,” Deal mentioned. “It is one thing that us as leaders have form of established, and I am actually enthusiastic about that. I believe we’re actually getting some high quality work on this summer time and spring and simply main as much as the season. I am actually excited.”
Deal additionally spoke on working backs coach and affiliate head coach Carnell Williams, who coached the ultimate 4 video games for Auburn in 2022.
Deal detailed the significance of protecting a coach like Williams on the workers whereas Auburn goals to seek out its id once more.
“Individuals had been going to be fairly upset in the event you eliminate Cadillac Williams. I do know I’d be,” Deal mentioned. “However coach Lac, he’s an unbelievable man, an unbelievable ambassador for this college, has been for a very long time, and folks with orange and blue of their blood, they wish to see him round eternally. So, that was positively necessary for our success.”
Forward of Freeze’s first season on the Plains, the top coach who has 5 years of SEC head teaching expertise, is grateful to get a second probability within the SEC and desirous to get began at Auburn together with his new workers.
“I really like our workers,” Freeze mentioned. “I really like the work they’ve put in in recruiting and in attempting to enhance our roster, and actually, actually excited in regards to the alternative to symbolize Auburn this fall and our nice fan base.”
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Jacob Waters | Sports activities Editor Jacob Waters is a junior majoring in journalism. From Leeds, Alabama, he began with The Plainsman in fall 2021. Twitter: @JacobWaters_
