Every college football season has a story.
And if he’s being honest, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze doesn’t care to talk about last year’s story much anymore.
“Well, I don’t want to talk about last year anymore, truthfully ‚” Freeze admitted when asked a retrospective question Thursday morning ahead of Auburn’s first practice of fall camp.
Instead, Freeze and the Tigers are ready to turn the page to the 2024 season, where a new story is ready to be written.
Auburn officially picked up the pen on Thursday as the Tigers took to the practice field for the first practice of fall camp.
And while there are plenty of factors that will impact Auburn’s story this fall, Freeze says there are two main elements he expects to set the tone.
“If you had asked me what the key to this season will be, I really think it will be: How well do our young DBs and young receivers play?,” Freeze said ahead of Thursday’s practice.
Freeze and Auburn’s staff have retooled multiple position groups this offseason, but perhaps none have been reworked more than the Tigers’ wide receiver room and defensive back room.
The headlines have been aplenty when it comes to Auburn’s new-look room of pass catchers.
A trio of seasoned transfers and a quartet of talented freshmen highlight the changes.
Being able to lean on the experience of guys like Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Georgia State transfer Robert Lewis, Cal transfer Sam Jackson V and those returning to the Tigers’ wide receiver room is huge for the Tigers.
However, Freeze knows he’ll need production from the rookie receivers, too.
Fortunately, he feels confident he could get that.
“I’m thrilled. They look the part. That’s what an SEC receiver should look like,” Freeze said of freshmen receivers Cam Coleman and Perry Thompson, who join fellow freshmen Malcolm Simmons and Bryce Cain as Auburn’s four freshmen receivers.
“There’s no question they’re talented. I’m careful not to put too much expectations on them in Year 1, but it wouldn’t surprise me if they contributed in a big way.”
Meanwhile, much of the same can be said about Auburn’s secondary, which is tasked with replacing four starter’s from last year’s team.
Like the wide receiver room, there are veteran defensive backs the unit can lean on in guys like returning senior Keionte Scott and fifth-year Texas transfer Jerrin Thompson.
“Jerrin Thompson has some experience and leadership back there,” Freeze said. Keionte has to lead and stay healthy.”
Auburn also returns sophomore Kayin Lee, who got ample experience as a true freshman last fall and is expected to start at one of the cornerback spots.
Returning junior Champ Anthony is another who got experience under his belt last season, appearing in every game for the Tigers.
After that, however, there’s a sizable dropoff in terms of experience, especially after the Tigers lost Tyler Scott to an ACL injury during summer workouts.
“Then you’ve got Antonio Kite and (JC Hart) and (Jay) Crawford,” Freeze said, listing some of Auburn’s defensive backs. “These are young, young kids who haven’t played very much football. And they’re going to have to play.”
However, though Kite appeared in nine games for the Crimson Tide across the 2022 and 2023 seasons, he was primarily a piece on special teams and isn’t incredibly battle-tested as a defensive back in this league.
The Tigers also added JUCO safety transfer Laquan Robinson, senior Northwestern State safety transfer Antwon Fegans Jr. and Colorado safety transfer Jahquez Robinson. And while the trio of newcomers has college football experience, none have experience in the SEC.
Meanwhile, Hart and Sylvester Smith both return in 2024 as redshirt freshmen who appeared in four games last fall.
And behind them are a slew of rookies like Crawford, Kaleb Harris, A’Mon Lane-Ganus and Kensley Louidor-Faustin, who are all gearing up for their first college football season.
Nonetheless, like Freeze pointed out, some of those younger players are going to have to come along and come along quickly to add quality depth to Auburn’s secondary.
“I think how well they do and those receivers do will be a big part of the story,” Freeze concluded.
