Blogle here. No we didn’t misspell offense. This was written by our resident Canadian Barnman. I keep his fun alternate spellings to make us feel alive.
Keeping with the theme of continuity, Auburn returns many regular faces on offence as well, as touched on in the coaching preview. Both head coach Hugh Freeze (lauded for his offensive prowess) and coordinator Derrick Nix return as play callers of a hopefully less turnover happy offence in 2025.
After a couple of underwhelming seasons back in the SEC as Head Coach on the Plains, Hugh Freeze enters what many are calling a make-or-break 2025 season at Auburn, after suffering close losses at home to both Georgia and Alabama in his rookie campaign as the Tiger’s Head Coach. Freeze opted to stick with Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne as the signal caller of the Tiger;s offence in 2024, after Thorne transferred to Auburn in the 2023 offseason and immediately earned the starting gig on the Plains due to his experience. The 2024 season would be the second season on the sidelines at Auburn for Hugh Freeze, as well as year number two under centre for Payton Thorne.
Although he showed a marked improvement in the stats category in 2024, Thorne had a tumultuous season which saw him unseated temporarily as the Tiger’s starter midway through the season, before he regained the starting gig and ended up finishing the season with over 2,700 yards and 21 touchdowns, however a few key turnovers in unfortunately timed spots meant the stats did not necessarily translate to the wins column for the Senior quarterback, nor the team as a whole.
Being a senior for the 2024 season, last fall would be Thorne’s last season as a college football player, meaning Auburn would have to find a replacement under centre for the 2025 season. After roster players Walker White, Hank Brown, and Holden Geriner all transferred to different spots in the transfer portal, Auburn turned to the portal themselves for Thorne’s replacement, nabbing Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold, who was instantly penciled into the QB1 gig on the Plains upon committing to Auburn.
Arnold finished as a consensus 5-star Quarterback in the 2023 recruiting class, playing his High School ball at powerhouse Guyer in Denton, Texas. He ultimately committed to Brent Venebles and the Oklahoma Sooners, but entered the transfer portal after a tumultuous 2024 season on the field when the Sooners turned to fellow Freshman Michael Hawkins Jr, forcing Arnold to enter the portal, ultimately deciding to head to the Plains.
In his disjointed 2024 season with the Sooners, Arnold threw for 1421 yards and 12 total touchdowns.
In terms of the receiver room which is nationally lauded as one of the most talented in the country Auburn returns all of the “freeze 4” receivers from the 2024 recruiting class for their second year on the Plains, as they look to build on productive freshman seasons that featured heavy doses of both Malcolm Simmons and Cam Coleman.
Simmons returns to the field after a tumultuous offseason off the field which saw him in hot water with the law, while Cam Coleman enters the season at the top of many pundits lists of best wideout in the SEC. Simmons was generally used on end around, sweeps, and gadget plays, showcasing his blazing speed and ultimately finishing the season with 40 catches, 3 touchdowns, and 450 yards.
After a slow start to the season, Coleman ended up catching 37 balls, amassing 598 yards through the air, along with tacking on 8 touchdowns on top of all that. Nice season for the Freshman.
Eric Singleton Jr. journeys to the Plains from Georgia Tech as a highly touted transfer who caught 3 touchdowns on 56 catches, for a total of 754 yards. Singleton ended up playing two seasons for the Yellow Jackets before entering the transfer portal and heading to Auburn.
The running back room features returning players Damari Alston, Jeremiah Cobb, transfer Durell Robinson, freshman Alvin Henderson, and fall camp phenom Omar Mabson.
Both Alston and Cobb sat behind talented rusher Jarquez Hunter in 2024, while mixing in changeup carries on third downs and in the passing game. Alston finished the season with 52 carries for 276 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Cobb saw 29 carries for 142 yards and no touchdowns. Atypically, Auburn’s running back room, although experienced, brings quite a bit of uncertainty in 2025 after Alston was seemingly put in the doghouse during the 2024 season due to some costly fumbles.
Up front, Auburn hopes their offensive line is a strength of the team heading into the 2025 Fall. Ultimately, its hard to function offensively without a powerful running game and lockdown pass protection unit, especially when breaking in a new Quarterback.
From left to right, Auburn will start Virginia Tech transfer Xavier Chaplin at left tackle, Dillon Wade at left guard, Connor Lew at centre, Jeremiah Wright at right guard, and USC transfer Mason Murphy at right tackle.
All in all, Auburn will go as far as their offence and new Quarterback take them, and they hope to feature an explosive unit in 2025 that limits mistakes and can close out games late with a tough, physical ground and pound rushing attack, leaning on their talented and experienced offensive line.
Read the other previews: Defence, Coach/Special Teams.
