Auburn AD Dishes on Hugh Freeze's Struggles with Quarterbacks

Hugh Freeze could never quite figure out the quarterback situation at Auburn.

Hugh Freeze's development of quarterback Jackson Arnold was one of his biggest criticisms while as the Auburn Tigers' head coach. | John Reed-Imagn Images

If there’s one thing that recently-fired Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze struggled with, it was quarterbacks.

Whether it was Payton Thorne’s incessant turnovers or Jackson Arnold’s struggles in the pocket, Freeze never managed to get over the hump at the quarterback position. 

Auburn athletic director John Cohen admitted this in his Monday address, stating that, despite the talent, the execution just wasn’t there under Freeze.

“I think [the quarterback position] is crucial,” Cohen said. “I think there's no question that it's the most important position on the field. You know it's critically important. I hesitate to make an examination of our quarterbacks because I don't think that's fair from where I sit. I do know this, I know that all of them keep a tremendous effort. I know that certainly we have quarterbacks that have promise, that have futures. But for whatever reason, it just hasn't worked in a game.”

Auburn Tigers quarterback Jackson Arnold started the first eight games of the season before being benched. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cohen admitted that the problem went deeper than just quarterbacks, too, stating that the entire offense has been below average for the SEC.

“And I do believe we have a lot of talent on the offensive side of the football field,” Cohen said. “It’s just pretty obvious that it's just not working. It’s not operating at a high level. And I'm probably taking a step further just by saying, gosh, if we have an average SEC offense right now, there's no telling what our record would be, and maybe I'm not standing up here in front of you right now."

For a majority of the season, often multiple times a week, Freeze stated that the offense was “close” to success.

Cohen’s evidently had enough with the struggles on offense, particularly given just how elite DJ Durkin’s defense has been over the past two seasons, and will surely be looking for someone who can get the team over the hump.

“I know it’s been talked about how close we are, right? Cohen said. "I’m not gonna say that we’re close. Close doesn’t matter. Getting it done matters.”

Auburn Tigers quarterback Ashton Daniels started Saturday's game before being benched for Jackson Arnold, before ultimately finishing the game. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Auburn’s offensive execution has struggled immensely since Gus Malzahn's departure, so Cohen’s certainly on the lookout for an offensive-minded coach to complement DJ Durkin’s stellar defense. 

Or, if Durkin’s squad excels, the team could keep him on as the head coach and hire a new offensive coordinator to fill the gaps. Only time will tell as to what Cohen will elect to do, but one thing’s for sure: he’s going to have his hands full for the next few weeks.