We’re less than a week away from ending 2022 and 2023 beginning. Several people are crafting resolutions they’ll hope will build better habits for the new year. Some will try working out, budgeting, and improving time management.

Change isn’t easy for anyone, but for Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze it doesn’t matter; his job is rebuilding a program that is coming off a losing season.

Freeze got off to a good start last Wednesday on early National Signing Day by improving Auburn’s signing class by signing players like four-star safety Sylvester Smith, three-start junior college transfer Izavion Miller, four-star defensive lineman Keldric Faulk, and four-star cornerback Kaylin Lee.

Auburn’s coaching staff is now complete with Thursday’s announcement that former Tiger receiver Marcus Davis is returning to the Plains as a wide receiver coach.

“Marcus has achieved success at every stop of his career, from his time as a player at Auburn to each of his coaching positions,” Freeze said. “He is one of the bright young coaches in our business, and his knowledge of Auburn combined with his work ethic will be a tremendous asset to our program.”

There’s still lots of work to do because the transfer portal remains open, and February’s formal signing is several weeks away. Let’s look at a few areas Freeze needs to address in the portal.

It’s a big-man game.

Auburn signed six offensive linemen out of 19 players in the upcoming recruiting class. Miller is likely the only of the group that will see significant playing time next season since Clay Wedin, Bradyn Joiner, Connor Lew, Tyler Johnson, and Stephen Johnson are all high school seniors. It’s rare to see freshmen play on the line in college football. It’s more complicated in a league known for dynamic pass-rushers like the Southeastern Conference.

“We tried to focus on big men. I think this is a big man league,” Freeze said. “If you don’t have guys on both sides up front, then it’s very difficult for these athletic receivers, running backs, and quarterbacks. Those DBs get a lot better if you’ve got an EDGE rusher that can shorten the time a quarterback has.”

New offensive coordinator and former Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery came to the Plains with a special gift. Dillon Wade played on the offensive line at Tulsa under Montgomery, and on Friday, Dillon signed with the Tigers.

Wade and Miller are valuable, but Auburn is losing a lot of talent off the offensive line to graduation and potentially the National Football League.

“Our emphasis will always be on making sure those rooms are correct,” Freeze said. “We’re not there yet. I hope recruits are listening. We’re still going to be recruiting them tonight for right now. There’s still a few in the portal that we’re heavily on. Hopefully, we can land a few of those guys.”

Living on the edge

Replacing EDGE rushers Eku Leota and All-SEC player Derick Hall isn’t going to be easy. Auburn also loses Colby Wooden off the line and Owen Pappoe at linebacker. The Tigers signed six defensive linemen, which supports Freeze’s recruiting philosophy. However, there wasn’t a linebacker in the class.

Wesley Steiner and Cam Riley are talented players, but Pappoe was a two-time team captain and led the team with 91 tackles. Pappoe, Leota, Hall, and Wooden were invaluable on the Plains. Freeze needs the plan to address rebuilding the defense in the portal.

Quarterback

Robby Ashford was one of the most excited people to see Freeze coming to Auburn. Ashford took over the reins as starting quarterback after T.J. Finley got injured. Ashford showed promise but struggled with consistency during the season.

Ashford, Finley, and freshman Holden Geriner are the only scholarship quarterbacks on the roster. It’ll be interesting to see if Finley stays since we haven’t heard much from him since he took a mental health break from the team before the Mississippi State loss in Cadillac Williams’ first game as interim coach.

Freeze also signed Hank Brown, a 6-4, 195-pound quarterback from Nashville’s Lipscomb Academy. Brown played under new UAB coach Trent Dilfer but chose Auburn. Dilfer recently made comments that could be construed as a shot at the Tigers.

“We’re looking for the best players in Alabama,” Dilfer said to reporters during an introductory press conference. “If they go to the University of Alabama, that’s awesome. But we’re going to be the next best option.

Brown didn’t agree with Dilfer’s assessment despite playing for him in high school. But, anyway, back to the Tigers. Freeze didn’t hide that he’s still seeking a quarterback.

“Yes. Yes, we’re — if it’s the right one, that we believe we can win games with,” Freeze said. “And we’ve gone back and forth on our rankings of them, and we’re kind of looking at that list right now and in conversations with the next man up, and hopefully, we’ll get the right one.”

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group