Auburn football was the talk of SEC Media Days Tuesday morning, as head coach Hugh Freeze gave confident answers ahead of the 2025 season.

That confidence seemed to rub off on the national media. On the SEC Network set the next day, former Alabama quarterback and ESPN analyst Greg McElroy made a bold statement about the Tigers going into the season.

“The dark horse [in the SEC] is Auburn,” McElroy said.

The reasoning McElroy gave for the prediction revolved around Auburn’s talent at wide receiver and returning production on defense. He acknowledged the questions remaining at quarterback, but it explained why he thinks it will work out for the Tigers.

“A huge question mark around the quarterback spot for sure. Jackson Arnold last year benched at Oklahoma, turnover issues, lacked confidence at times, gets replaced, gets put back in the lineup, he finishes okay,” McElroy said. “He now gets a fresh start, but if you look at what’s around him, he’s got a really good supporting cast, and I like what they have on defense at all three levels…

“I think Auburn is a legitimate SEC championship contender, assuming their quarterback, Jackson Arnold, reaches his potential as a former five-star recruit.”

Freeze has been adamant throughout the offseason about Arnold simply needing a reset to reach his potential. Given his confidence in Arnold and the roster’s improvement, Freeze said that Auburn will be in the college football playoff discussion this season.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m