The upcoming 2024 season marks Hugh Freeze’s second year leading Auburn football on the Plains. Following a 6-7 finish in 2023, with a disappointing loss in the Music City Bowl, the Tigers ended their fourth consecutive season without a ranking. Freeze aims to bolster the team’s performance in the coming season, potentially leveraging their transfer portal acquisitions.

However, Freeze’s ability to rebuild Auburn’s football program through the transfer portal seems limited. The Tigers’ 2024 winter transfer cycle ranks 39th nationally, with nine incoming commits and 14 departures. Notably, only one of these commits is a four-star transfer, with the rest being three-star recruits.

This pales in comparison to Auburn’s 2023 transfer class, assembled during Freeze’s inaugural year, which saw a more substantial influx of talent. Despite facing the challenge of a coaching change and potential player departures, Freeze secured 20 incoming transfers in 2023, with 21 leaving. Impressively, this class included 11 four-star transfers, the highest count among the top-50 recruiting classes.

It’s not uncommon for coaches to rely less on the transfer portal as they establish their tenure at a program. Despite being only in his second year at Auburn, Freeze seems to be shifting focus away from heavy reliance on portal players, possibly indicating a strategic shift towards addressing specific team needs rather than seeking a broad overhaul.

Of the nine transfers secured, four are offensive players (including two wide receivers, one tight end, and one offensive tackle), while the remaining five bolster the defense (including one linebacker, one defensive lineman, one safety, and one cornerback). This targeted approach to recruiting may reflect Freeze’s emphasis on addressing key positions rather than pursuing a large-scale talent infusion.

Despite the reduced number of transfers compared to the previous season, Auburn football’s inclusion in The Athletic’s Manny Navarro’s SEC transfer portal “winners list” suggests that these acquisitions have garnered positive attention. Among these players is Georgia State wide receiver Robert Lewis, whose addition likely contributed to Auburn’s recognition on Navarro’s list.