In the aftermath of his Auburn exit, Hugh Freeze isn’t pointing fingers, but his gaze lands squarely on the quarterback position that defined his downfall.

In a rare, 38-minute sit-down with AuburnSports, he admitted the truth did indeed hurt. Fired after a 10-3 home meltdown against Kentucky that dropped Auburn to 4-5, he still believes the program he left behind is built for a leap.

“It makes me sick that I didn’t deliver a product for the Auburn faithful,” Hugh Freeze told Justin Hokanson in an exclusive 1-on-1 interview. “It doesn’t help to say that we were close because nobody really cares about that. We were, though.”

And that honesty only sharpened the contrast with what came next.

“I do think that team’s got a real shot to make a run next year at the playoffs,” he added, unwilling to let the chaos overshadow what he believed was a foundation.

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But that bold claim sits right next to the real tension point of his departure. 

Because as Hugh Freeze unpacked where things went wrong, QB Jackson Arnold’s name entered the room. The Oklahoma transfer was supposed to elevate Auburn’s offense in 2025. Instead, the HC was fired, he was benched, and a season that started 3-0 spiraled into seven losses in nine games. Yet Freeze wanted one thing clear before folks directed their blame.

“This is not a beat-up Jackson deal,” Hugh Freeze said. “It’s never, always the quarterback. There are other factors.”

He pointed to the miscues, the wide-open Cam Coleman touchdown missed at Oklahoma, the eight drops in the Missouri loss, the blown protections, and misfires against Georgia. He didn’t deny the misses nor his role either. 

“It didn’t work out to the level that he nor I both expected for him and our team,” Freeze added. “And that’s why I’m sitting here.”

But the numbers provide the complete picture. They are as conflicted as the season itself.

Jackson Arnold finished with a total of 1,309 passing yards, 6 TDs, and also had 2 picks. Arnold also added eight more touchdowns from his 311 rushing yards. By November, Ashton Daniels and Deuce Knight were taking snaps while Arnold watched a second straight season slip away, just like his Oklahoma year, when he split time with freshman Michael Hawkins despite starting early. And that instability paved the way for Auburn’s next era.

Auburn has turned to Alex Golesh, the fast-rising USF architect, to take command. Earlier this week, the Tigers welcomed their 33rd HC, an offensive mind built for speed, volume, and uncompromising tempo. But even he inherits a truth that Freeze never solved, which brings us to the question…

Can Alex Golesh prove Hugh Freeze right?

Before Auburn can look forward, it must confront the one position that repeatedly derailed its past. Quarterback. The Tigers never found stability under Hugh Freeze despite notable high-school recruiting wins and portal additions. His greatest flaw was strategic. Instead of grabbing a proven veteran from the portal, he doubled down on QB Payton Thorne for Year 2, then rolled the dice again on a talented but inconsistent Jackson Arnold fresh off a turbulent Oklahoma campaign. Now Alex Golesh faces the same fork in the road, but with fewer excuses.

CBS Sports didn’t sugarcoat the challenge. “Auburn has to get the quarterback position right,” Will Backus wrote. “The Tigers have finished in the top half of the conference in passing just once since 2017. Former coach Hugh Freeze swung – and missed – at a carousel of transfer quarterbacks… That should change under Golesh.”

Alex Golesh has produced elite QB play everywhere he’s coached. His track record speaks for itself. He helped develop QB Dillon Gabriel at UCF, coached Hendon Hooker, making him a legitimate Heisman contender at Tennessee, and turned USF’s Byrum Brown into one of the G5’s premier offensive playmakers. Whether it means keeping the current QBs or finding someone new, his path is clear. Secure a quarterback who can finally unlock Auburn’s offense.

Alex Golesh brings an up-tempo, space-manipulating scheme that averaged 35+ points and 450 yards per game at USF. The Bulls ranked top-25 nationally in 20 statistical categories – 11 offensive, 7 defensive, and 2 special teams. His formula is proven. And now he brings it to a program that’s starved for identity.

Can Golesh coach his team to victory? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.