When Hugh Freeze became the new Auburn head coach it brought excitement to the program. There were many reasons for that, but one big reason is his past success with quarterbacks. Developing that position has been a major criticism placed on the last two head coaches. The Tigers have had talented players on campus like Jarrett Stidham and Bo Nix. They just were not able to reach their potential at Auburn. With Freeze, along with offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery that should change. Quarterbacks under Hugh Freeze have seen big success over the years.
Quarterbacks Under Hugh Freeze
Ryan Aplin, Arkansas State
Auburn has created a trend of hiring former Arkansas State head coaches. Freeze started as the offensive coordinator for the Red Wolves in 2010 before becoming the head coach in 2011. In those two seasons, he coached and developed Ryan Aplin into one of the best quarterbacks in the Sun Belt. Despite a 4-8 record in 2010, Aplin had a solid season. He passed for 2,934 yards and 21 touchdowns with another 11 on the ground. Arkansas State was second in the Sun Belt behind Troy that season in passing.
When Freeze took over in 2011 after the firing of Steve Roberts the team had a big turnaround. They improved to an overall record of 10-3 and 8-0 in conference play for a Sun Belt Championship. Aplin took his game to another level as well. His completion rate went from 61% to 64%. He passed for a conference-leading 3,588 yards and had 19 touchdowns. He also rushed for 588 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. Freeze would not coach in the GoDaddy.com Bowl against Northern Illinois due to taking the Ole Miss job. Gus Malzahn would replace Freeze in 2012.
Bo Wallace and Chad Kelly, Ole Miss
There were a few quarterbacks under Hugh Freeze during his time at Ole Miss, but two of the more highly profiled ones were Bo Wallace and Chad Kelly. While Auburn experienced good Bo and bad Bo with Nix, Wallace originated that term during his time in Oxford from 2012-14. Over those three years, Wallace passed for 9,534 yards and 62 touchdowns. He finished in the top five in the SEC each year in passing yards and finished second in 2013 behind Johnny Manziel. The best year was in 2014 when Ole Miss won nine games including a thrilling 23-17 win over Alabama. That win would be one of many that would later be vacated.
Taking over at quarterback after Wallace was Kelly. He was on campus during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. Kelly originally was with Clemson in 2013 before being dismissed from the team. He played at East Mississippi Community College for the 2014 season. In his first season with Ole Miss, he led the SEC in passing yards (4,042) and touchdowns (31). The team went 10-3 overall and 6-2 in conference play. A 53-52 overtime loss to Arkansas cost them a chance at playing in their first SEC Championship Game. The following year Kelly returned and despite his season being cut short due to injury he still finished in the top five in passing yards. He threw for 2,758 yards and 19 touchdowns before injuring his ACL and giving way to highly recruited Shea Patterson. 2016 would be the final year for Freeze at Ole Miss.
Malik Willis, Liberty
After two years of not coaching, Freeze would return to the sidelines in 2019 to coach the Liberty Flames. Year one was a success going 7-5 and making a bowl, but 2020 was a breakout season. The Flames went 10-1 that season with the lone loss being a 15-14 defeat to North Carolina State. A big reason for the success in 2020 was the play of quarterback Malik Willis. He transferred from Auburn after mainly being used as a change of pace player in wildcat plays for Gus Malzahn. He flourished with Freeze at Liberty.
During the 10-win season, Willis passed for 2,260 yards and 20 touchdowns showing he had grown as a passer. The following year the wins declined for Liberty, but Willis showed more signs of growth. In 2021, he passed for 2,857 yards and while he did double his interceptions to 12, he also increased his touchdown passes with 27. His development under Freeze resulted in Willis being drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Auburn Quarterbacks
With the transfer of former Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford returning, Freeze has options. Thorne could fit the mold of a Bo Wallace or Chad Kelly and be that traditional pocket passer that Freeze has had success with in the past. On the other hand, Ashford brings running ability like Malik Willis and could be developed as a passer in the same way. Fall camp is right around the corner, and this battle will be the most important for the Auburn Tigers.
Photo courtesy: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
