Hugh Freeze explains what recruiting on game days looks like for Auburn football

AUBURN — Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze has said it again and again since he got hired: He believes his roster is not up to par with some of the elites in the Southeastern Conference.

It's hard to argue with him when looking at the recruiting rankings.

The Tigers have fallen well short of teams like Alabama and Georgia in recent years, with the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs pulling in multiple top-five classes since their respective dynasties began.

Freeze is effectively using the early part of his tenure on the Plains to catch up, which means he's putting an emphasis on recruiting. It's why he said he hired offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery to call plays, so that Freeze will be less involved in the game plan and have more time to recruit.

REVISITING THE SEARCH: The ratings system, interview process behind John Cohen's decision to hire Hugh Freeze

NORTH END ZONE: Auburn continues 'internal conversations' related to renovations of Jordan-Hare Stadium

"This year I have been so busy recruiting that I don't even get to think about the game until literally − I probably get out there with about 30 minutes left in warmups," Freeze said on Tiger Talk on Thursday. "It's go-time then. I just think I have to recruit so hard right now. There's so many good players coming to our games, and I feel like I have to meet with them. And it's working. We got another big commitment from one of the top players in the nation. I think that's two this week."

The Tigers landed a pledge Thursday from 2025 four-star athlete Kendarius Reddick, who is ranked as the No. 41 junior recruit in the nation. Reddick's announcement came after 2025 four-star defensive lineman Jourdin Crawford committed to the Tigers on Monday.

"I don't have a lot of time (on game days)," Freeze said. "I leave the hotel as soon as we get through with our last meeting. I get to the stadium and I'm locked in a room meeting with families until they take me to Tiger Walk and then I come back and I meet (with them) again until I just can't. Because I want to see them all.

"We've got another big group coming this weekend. We've got two official visits. Two guys we really want. Plus a bunch of five-, four-star kids that'll be at the game. I've said since I got here and I hope everybody keeps hearing me: The '24 and '25 class will really tell the story of how fast we can close the gap on the upper echelon in this conference. I think we're off to a good, solid start."

Freeze said the time he's spent recruiting this season has been unlike anything he's ever experienced, including his time at Ole Miss from 2012-16 and at Liberty from 2019-22.

"For whatever reason even though we were winning and doing well (with the Rebels), you didn't have the number of top guys showing up," Freeze said. "(It's currently) like 15-20 of them. The Georgia game was more than that. ... I just didn't have that many there that I felt like I had to be in a room with.

"And, of course, Liberty was nothing like that. Truthfully there, recruiting was, 'Well, let's wait and see.' Everybody thinks they're going (to a team in the) Power Five. I met with them, and obviously if we had any official visits we would (meet more with them), but this is quite different."

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Hugh Freeze explains how game-day recruiting works for Auburn football