Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze got his turn at SEC Media Days on Thursday at the Omni Dallas Hotel.

Below is an edited Q&A between Freeze and reporters, compiled by ASAP Sports and distributed by the SEC office:

Q. Building a program is obviously a process. Through two off seasons and one full season, how would you grade that process so far?

HUGH FREEZE: I think I’ll be ready to judge that after this season. I do believe we’ve been improved our culture, our chemistry, and our roster. Most places I think it takes you two full recruiting cycles to get your roster like you want it when you inherit a program that was down. It’s been my experience. But I’ve also — every place we have been, I think we’ve seen improvement in year two. So I know that we’re on the right track. We’re recruiting at a high level. So is everybody else. But we’re recruiting at a high level. And the standard and accountability and culture is getting better and the chemistry is among the staff is better, which is breeding confidence into our players. So I think we’re on the right track. But what does that mean in win-loss total this fall? I’m not sure yet.

Q. Coach, talk to us about the importance of the Mobile-Baldwin County recruiting area.

HUGH FREEZE: Yeah. You’re in our state so you know I’m very transparent and prior to Trent’s arriving, we were getting our teeth kicked in down there. And we’re changing that. And we have. We have to get our share in our state there’s a lot of good football that’s played in that area. And they are always going to have some players, and we’ve got to win our share of battles there, so we’ve made a priority for sure. Let me say, I said this in the big room, and I don’t know if y’all were listening to that or not. I hate to double talk or whatever. I have never come early to a media day ever. I don’t know of any coach that would. Because I don’t know we were of this mindset that in, say as little as you have, see as few of people as you have to, and get out. And we had the Auburn Dallas club meeting here last night, and it made no sense for me to fly home and fly here this morning. So I came in a night early. And really wasn’t quite sure how they was going to go, me and Lee Van Horn and our SID went to get something to eat. First thing that happens, I have this group of people who run up to me and they were the Chamber of Commerce from Opelika and they just won the national award. Congratulations to you guys. I hope that gets out somewhere. But then one by one you media guys that saw us would come and visit with us and talk, and man we sat there for three hours last night. And then I say, it’s time for me to go to bed. And I come in and a group of Alabama media call me out there and we sat and talked for another hour. I appreciated that. It was nothing about ball. We told stories and recruiting stories. And lake stories, fishing stories, Eric Church stories. Anyway, I don’t know y’all didn’t come to hear that. I appreciate. I know you have a job to do. And I get that. You got to tell us when we’re screwing it up. But, you know, last night for a period of three hours it was kind of nice everybody was just human. And thank you for that.

Q. Coach, your starting kicker, Alex McPherson is popular in our neck of the woods. After spending an entire season with him now, what can you tell us about what makes him so special and what you have seen development-wise from him over the past year.

HUGH FREEZE: Most accurate kicker I’ve ever been around. Amazing that he has the strength for the size body he has. It’s like some of these golfers that play that are 120 pounds. And think I’m going to blow it by those guys and they are 50 yards ahead of me. And what we need Alex to get healthy. He’s battling right now an intestinal issue. And hopefully we get the right advice from the doctors on that to get him settled. Because he’s a weapon for sure. On the other hand we’re thankful we have a great backup here in Towns. We hope Alex, he is so cool and consistent. Hope he’s ready to go.

Q. When you’ve had young players that have come in and filled roles for you right away throughout your career, what are some characteristics that have been common amongst those players, and do you see some of those same things with Cam?

HUGH FREEZE: I do. That’s a great question. I’ve had some really really great receivers. And I think of Laquon Treadwell. He came in and just fit naturally. Caught 75 balls as a freshman. And obviously still in the NFL. We’ve signed some others that, you know, are in the NFL now but we red-shirted. They weren’t quite ready. And so it’s very hard for me to predict, you know, exactly how these young kids will perform against, you know, obviously the DBs in this league are probably the best athletes on the field when it comes to quick twitch and change of direction and all those things. So how are they going to perform? Really pleased with Cam. I think Perry Thompson has the physical tools. You start there for the traits. Do they have the physical size and strength and speed to do that? Both of those kids. So does Malcolm and so does Bryce. Perry is now just getting with us. It’s really hard to judge exactly how they will handle everything. But it’s start with a work ethic and a maturity about your approach and don’t think you have it all figured out. Be coachable. And cam was absolutely that in spring. He wants to be coached. He’s going to play. I just — I’m careful not to put unreal expectations on them just yet.

Q. Coach, we’ve heard a lot this week about how hard road games are in the SEC. But we’ve heard how hard it is to play at Jordan-Hare from a lot of other players outside of the Auburn team. What is it about Jordan-Hare’s environment that makes it difficult and how exciting to start the season with five straight games?

HUGH FREEZE: Two straight years of sell out. We’re thankful for our fans. They are faithful and loyal. They love their Auburn Tigers. And our student section is the best. We get there two hours before the game and it is packed already. Everybody wants the lottery to get the tickets to the games we want. Wish we had bigger space for all of them to come. But the feeling at Auburn to me is such — and I’m not saying other places don’t have it. But I think Auburn is unique in this family feel that they have. And whether or not you all go to the same church or you don’t or you have different beliefs or not. Come Saturday, the love for a program and a school trumps all of that and you feel that at Auburn. And I think that’s what makes it difficult. Now the five straight home games. It’s not ideal. But at the same time maybe advantageous. If we can get on a run and get the season started really really well, that could be advantageous. It’s not great for fans at all. We are asking them to be there and they are going to show up. That’s not great for that. And not having a home game in October is certainly a challenge. It is what it is. And we have to deal it. And we need to get off to a fast start.

Q. Coach, Jaylin Simpson was a big part of what you all were doing from a secondary standpoint. Who has replaced him as one of the leaders, particularly vocally in that second area?

HUGH FREEZE: Jerrin Thompson, our transfer from Texas, and Scott will be the voices back there. Champ is another voice that carries weight. But the back end to get us all lined up right, Jerrin, we’re moving Keionte to corner. Jerrin will have a responsibility of kind of taking over that role.

Q. From year one to year two, what’s the biggest transition for you as well as looking at the east Alabama talent, two big guys — what does that mean to click out of your backyard?

HUGH FREEZE: We want to win in the state in recruiting. Whether it’s Mobile or in the Columbus area or Birmingham area, we want to win our share of battles in our state. So it’s vital that we were able to get those two. And those were two tough battles. For a kicker, that was a tough battle. Receivers you were used to that. That speaks to how the talent can be. Transition, I think just getting more comfortable. There’s a comfort level in our building right now for me that I think is breeding confidence into our players. And you know, when I walk into the offensive room now every single person in there, every single person, has worked with me before. And it’s just — it’s made it — and I love the energy that defensive staff are bringing over there. Organized to a T and bring great energy. It’s made me a lot more comfortable.

Q. Two years ago there were 33 players in the state of Alabama, 22 four-stars, six five-stars. Auburn got three of them. You already have 3 of the top 6 in the state. A kid that’s from that area is not likely to quit. He can’t go home. Your philosophy of in-state recruiting and how important. Pain is temporary, pride is forever in your home state.

HUGH FREEZE: I have been very vocal of how I want to build the program, and it starts to high school recruiting in your home state and border states. And I’m not big on getting on a plane and flying across the nation and listen — I could be wrong. I’m not — I don’t know. I’m not certainly saying I have the blueprint to doing it. But I would love to build it from our border states and starting at home with high school kids. And hopefully talk to them into staying with us and being developed. And you know, that’s the challenge of today’s time. And maybe I have to rethink it. But certainly that is the way I’m most comfortable building a program. And it probably comes from what you mentioned at first, my roots in Mississippi. And I don’t know, that’s what I was taught. You do it through hard work and you may not be perfect and you are going to fail and all that, but you do not quit and you keep going and you persevere and you learn the lessons that are going to benefit you in life. And relationships matter. I mean, we counted on each other on those dairy farms and in the fields and if you are supposed to be the plow guy then plow. And the plant guy can do his job. I don’t know. Does that still work today? We’re going to find out and see. That’s certainly where I’m most comfortable.

Q. Coach, what have you seen out of Payton Thorne that gives you confidence he’s the quarterback that can help you win in 2024?

HUGH FREEZE: Again, I think it’s two things — three things. I’ve seen him play at a high level at a power five school. Two, I think in year two with us and him sensing the chemistry in the offensive staff room is bred confidence in him, but probably most importantly I think he feels like if he’s supposed to take a three-step drop from the shot gun and throw a curl route, I think he feels confident that he has guys that can win. And when you are not confident on that that they can win at the top end, you become really really hesitant and your throw is late or it doesn’t go off at all and now the pressure comes. And those three things to me are the reason I’m optimistic for him in year two.