Hugh Freeze isn’t committing to any long-term decisions regarding his depth chart just yet. In fact, he recently teased Auburn football reporters with a press release listing an “or” after every player’s name. However, he’s made one decision clear about the receiver position: there will be an “open rotation” for the foreseeable future.
This is great news for Tiger fans eager to see the “Freeze Four” — Cam Coleman, Perry Thompson, Bryce Cain, and Malcolm Simmons — get ample playing time during the 2024 season.
“Yeah, it’s a pretty open rotation at that spot,” Freeze explained (via AuburnUndercover). “I want them to stay fresh. If a player runs a deep route and it ends up incomplete or not a big play, I’d expect the next guy up so we’re ready to go and keep our energy.
“I don’t like the idea of a player sprinting downfield on a long route, and then having to rush back to the line after an incomplete pass. I’ve never been a fan of that. Right now, they have to prove themselves on the field. In our mock game on Saturday, we freely rotated the top six guys. There were still a few too many missed assignments by the younger players.”
The Freeze Four is Auburn football’s biggest selling point to transfer portal QBs in the future
Payton Thorne will exhaust his eligibility after the 2024 season. If Hank Brown and Holden Geriner choose to move on rather than waiting for their chance, and if Walker White or a potential 2025 recruit like Deuce Knight isn’t ready to step up, Coach Freeze may need to focus on the transfer portal for a quarterback next year.
This situation makes the Freeze Four a crucial recruiting asset for the quarterback position.
With Rivaldo Fairweather, KeAndre Lambert-Smith, and Robert Lewis in their final year of eligibility in 2024, the in-state quartet serves as a key example for attracting top talent in the transfer portal.
Their playing time is valuable both now and for future recruitment.
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