Five New Year's resolutions for Auburn football

New year, new Auburn.

The Tigers are attempting a reset after hiring Hugh Freeze back in early December. With things seemingly headed in the right direction, Freeze and his staff can now focus on bringing things back to normal on the Plains.

Here are five New Year's resolutions for Hugh Freeze and Auburn football.

1. Develop a quarterback

Whether it's Robby Ashford or a transfer portal addition, Hugh Freeze needs to prove out of the gates that he can develop a signal-caller. It's one of his calling cards, and if certain improvements aren't made at the position, that could be a bad sign for the long-term success of Freeze and his staff.

2. Continue to recruit in the trenches

Right now, Auburn has six offensive lineman (five signees, one transfer) in their 2023 class. Their goal is to get as many as possible.

It would not be surprising to see the Tigers attempt to land as many as ten linemen. Dillon Wade, the No. 2 offensive tackle in the portal, was a great building block on top of a foundation of high school players. It's definitively the biggest position of need not just for this season, but for many to come.

3. Reestablish the defensive identity

Remember just a few years ago when the Tigers' defense was a force to be reckoned with? 2019 feels like ages ago, and now that Auburn has a chance to reset things underneath new coordinator Ron Roberts, there is an expectation at the defense starts to return to form.

Will it be as dominant as it was at times under Kevin Steele? There's no way to tell now, but even if they get halfway there it would greatly increase the Tigers' chances of winning.

In 2022, Auburn couldn't create turnovers and had an awful time trying to stop the run. Those are two of Roberts' calling cards.

4. Win the transfer portal

No. 25 is where Auburn's transfer portal class currently sits, and there is still plenty of work left to be done.

The Tigers would almost certainly like to add a transfer portal quarterback - whether that be Grayson McCall, Spencer Sanders, or another QB - it looks like they're going to get one. Running back seems to also be a position Freeze wants to shore up, with Mississippi State transfer Dillon Johnson including Auburn in his top three transfer destinations.

Linebacker, as well as a possession receiver is also desired. Look, there are a lot of gaps to be filled on this roster, so any experienced addition via transfer portal will be welcomed. This should be a top 15 portal class when it is all said and done.

5. Create cohesion

Arguably the best observation that Bryan Harsin made during his time at Auburn was one about the resources and direction of the program. "I truly believe Auburn has the potential to be a championship program once again," he said in a statement following his firing. "The resources, financial support and fan base are in place. There are good people throughout this program and University. With complete alignment, the possibilities are endless."

Auburn needs cohesion.

They need every aspect of the program aligned and heading in the same direction. Once certain parties start pulling another way, progression - at the pace both the athletic department and the fanbase expects it - is almost unachievable. Sure, the Tigers can still have their 10-win one-off seasons, but until everyone from the top to the bottom all kick it into the same gear, the car isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

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