Jake Crain of Crain & Company recently debunked a rumor circulating from an Alabama account regarding Auburn football. The rumor alleged that Auburn’s head coach, Hugh Freeze, was not aligned with the program’s power brokers and had misused funds from the baseball program’s NIL fund for football recruiting expenses. Crain, relying on sources close to Auburn football, confirmed that these accusations were entirely baseless.
“Talked to sources: Not remotely close to true,” Crain stated. He added, “Say what you want about Auburn but to say they aren’t aligned (a rarity but true) is futile right now. Things can change but there is actually more positive momentum in Auburn football than they’ve had in awhile.”
The accusations claimed that Freeze reallocated $1 million from the baseball fund for football recruits, causing unrest among Auburn’s leadership. However, Freeze has previously expressed opposition to wasteful NIL spending. He cited a specific instance where he chose not to spend a million dollars on a quarterback recruit, preferring to develop current players instead.
Despite the unfounded rumors, Auburn’s recruiting remains strong, with the Tigers ranked No. 8 in 2024 and No. 13 in 2025, showing no signs of internal trouble.
