Week one of the 2025 season showed the nation what Auburn football could become under Hugh Freeze. The conversation starts with Jackson Arnold and the trenches. Arnold rushed for 137 yards, making him the SEC’s leading rusher after one week. He looked every bit the freak athlete Auburn thought they were getting, and the scary part is—he hasn’t even played his best football yet. Auburn’s run game rolled to 307 yards, the most in the SEC, while the defense held Baylor to just 64 rushing yards. That’s the balance Auburn fans have been craving.

Auburn didn’t pass much, and that wasn’t because they couldn’t—it was because they didn’t need to. Wideouts like Cam Coleman, Eric Singleton, Malcolm Simmons, and Horatio Fields are waiting to showcase their ability. Freeze has a plan to build this offense piece by piece, so by the time Oklahoma arrives, defenders will be forced to defend every blade of grass. Against Ball State and South Alabama, Auburn has a chance to sharpen the passing game while maintaining the physicality up front.

On defense, the line was ferocious. Jay Hardy graded out at an elite 82.2, Darian Smith flashed promise, and Amaris Williams showed he can become Auburn’s next great edge rusher. They rotated seven-plus linemen, kept bodies fresh, and made Sawyer Robertson one-dimensional despite giving up passing yards. When your front seven suffocates the run, the rest becomes manageable.

Auburn may not be perfect yet, but this is the type of performance that signals a dangerous team is brewing.

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