It appears to be an understanding across the board that Auburn football will go through a transition season in 2023, as new head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] will look to rebuild a program that was mishandled over the last several seasons.
Recruiting and overall morale have amplified on the Plains, which is enough reason for one publication to put some respect on Auburn’s name heading into the season.
Phil Steele, a college football expert that has published a preseason magazine every year over the last 25 seasons, has revealed his top 25 power poll ahead of the 2023 season. In a surprising move, Steele has placed Auburn in the No. 25 slot.
On3’s Andrew Graham shared his take on each team that made the top 25 and says that this season at Auburn could be different than the previous two seasons.
With a new head coach and quarterback, it seems Auburn is poised to stop underachieving as it had under Bryan Harsin. The Tigers had a few paltry seasons with Harsin and then under interim Cadillac Williams, but have since hired offensive maven Hugh Freeze.
Another factor in this ranking is the addition of quarterback Payton Thorne from the transfer portal. The Michigan State transfer led the Spartans to 11 wins in 2021 and could experience similar success at Auburn.
And one of Freeze’s biggest moves since getting the job is luring former Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne to The Plains. Thorne has two-years of Big Ten starting experience under his belt and was MSU’s starting quarterback for their 11-win campaign in 2021. If Thorne plays like he’s shown he can, Auburn can play to a Top 25 level.
Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Alabama, and Georgia are other notable programs on Steele’s list.
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