After one season of being Auburn’s offensive coordinator and play caller, head coach Hugh Freeze relieved Philip Montgomery of his duties on Jan. 5, opening up the door for Freeze to bring in a new offensive coordinator and play caller for the 2024 season.

Freeze found that in former Ole Miss associate head coach and wide receivers coach Derrick Nix, who was officially hired as Auburn’s offensive coordinator and running backs coach on Jan. 17.

The addition of Nix comes after he and Freeze worked together at Ole Miss from 2012-16 — Freeze as head coach and Nix as running backs coach.

“It’s just a comfort level to have D-Nix and Kent (Austin) in that room knowing that the verbiage and terminology and everything will be things that I understand clearly and can add value to when I need to,” Freeze said, also mentioning Kent Austin, who was elevated to Auburn’s quarterbacks coach on the same day Nix was hired. Austin previously worked alongside Freeze at Liberty.

However, with the recent staff shuffle and Auburn not returning it’s main play caller from the 2023 season, there are questions as to who will call plays for the Tigers in 2024. And there have been conflicting reports.

On Jan. 9, ESPN’s Chris Low reported that Freeze was expected to be Auburn’s play caller in 2024 — something he’s done at each of his previous head coaching stops.

Meanwhile, Nix’s previous contract at Ole Miss had a specific provision that freed him from paying his $625,000 buy-out, should he take a job that granted him primary play-calling duties.

So which is it? Who will be Auburn’s play caller in 2024?

“I think it’s too early,” Freeze said Wednesday. “You constantly have confidence in D-Nix in that room. But just knowing that it’s in the verbiage that I completely understand or I can suggest things or adjustments… I will know how to help more.”

Freeze went on to gush about Nix, calling him “one of the best recruiters, best men, best football coaches that I’ve been around.”

Meanwhile, regardless of who’s calling plays for the Tigers, questions remains as to who will be taking snaps for Auburn.

After a turbulent offensive showing in a loss to Maryland in the Music City Bowl on Jan. 30, Freeze called Auburn’s quarterback situation “wide open,” seemingly walking back comments about Payton Thorne being Auburn’s guy next season.

“That position should be an interesting one, certainly, in spring practice,” Freeze said following the Music City Bowl loss.

Considering the craziness of the transfer portal — which featured a healthy heaping of quarterback talent — many questioned whether Freeze would return to the portal and pluck out a quarterback for the second offseason in a row.

And with a second transfer window approaching, Freeze was asked again if he planned on adding a transfer quarterback.

“I really like our room,” Freeze said. “I wanted to try to build with high school kids like Hank (Brown) and Walker (White) and us try to develop those guys along with, obviously, the experience Payton (Thorne) brings. I kinda wanna see that through.”