5 things to know about Auburn football before kickoff
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For the first time in more than two decades, Auburn will start its football season on a day other than Saturday.
The Tigers hit the road this week for a Friday night showdown against Baylor, matching up two teams just outside the AP’s preseason Top 25. Here’s what you need to know before kick off in Waco:
- Who: Auburn Tigers at Baylor Bears
- When: 7PM | Friday, Aug. 29
- Where: McLane Stadium | Waco, TX
- Watch: FOX
Expectations might be best described as cautiously optimistic for Auburn fans before the start of the season as the seat under coach Hugh Freeze has gotten hotter with each passing year. And for good reason.
Keep reading for five things you’ll want to know before the Tigers begin their 2025 season + how Hugh could freeze that hot seat by the end of the year.
ICYMI: Check out 5 things to know about Alabama before the start of the season
Losing season streak
Auburn has finished with a losing record in each of the last three seasons, including not even making it to a bowl game in the second year under Freeze.
It’s the program’s longest streak of losing seasons since 1950. This is also the first time since the 1950s an Auburn coach has returned for a third season after finishing his first two with a losing record.
But fortunately for the Tigers, past seasons won’t matter once the 2025 team hits the field Friday night. So how can these Tigers stop that streak?
The Cam Coleman Show
Cam Coleman was actually considered a higher rated recruit than Ryan Williams in the most Class of 2024 rankings. And while he may not have had the big moments and spotlight like Williams had as a freshman, Coleman shined bright on his own.
Coleman played in just 11 games but finished with 598 yards on 37 catches + tied for the team lead with 8 receiving touchdowns in 2024. But it did take him some time to settle in.
That being said, he looked like the 5-star wide receiver he was supposed to be in the final three weeks of the season. His performances included:
- ULM: 8 receptions, 100 yards, 3 TDs
- Texas A&M: 7 receptions, 128 yards, 2 TDs
- Alabama: 7 receptions, 78 yards, TD
And no offense to last year’s team but Auburn is hoping this year’s quarterback options can make Coleman’s numbers be even more consistent.
Who is Jackson Arnold?
There was seemingly a quarterback competition on The Plains this offseason featuring freshman Deuce Knight and Ashton Daniels but the name at the front of the pack was always Jackson Arnold.
The Oklahoma transfer had a complicated two-year career in Norman, eventually losing his starting job last season. But he certainly had his moments and showed flashes of greatness, which is why he’s considered a top-20 Heisman candidate.
In 17 games across two seasons, Arnold accounted for:
- 62.9 completion percentage
- 1,984 passing yards
- 16 passing TDs
- 6 INTs
- 560 rushing yards
- 5 scrimmage TDs
Arnold is listed alone at the top of the depth chart for week one and Auburn fans are hoping he plays well enough so there will be no quarterback controversy the rest of the season. But expect to hear calls for Knight early on in the season if there are too many empty possessions.
Honk if you sacked *insert QB here*
The classic bumper sticker saying will bring back some positive memories for Auburn fans to a time before Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa.
And while it may not be that perfect again this season, there are plenty of reasons to think Auburn could have one of the best pass rushes in the country in 2025.
Auburn is returning a majority of the 10 players who recorded at least one sack last season including Keldric Faulk, who was named to the preseason Bednarik Award watch list after a stellar freshman season.
Faulk had 7 sacks last season and is expected to have even more in year two, along with fellow sophomore Demarcus Riddick who had three sacks in 2024.
Other players who could be a force on the defensive front include:
- Amaris Williams
- Bobby Jamison-Travis
- Jourdin Crawford
- Malik Blocton
- Zykeivous Walker
Early-season challenges
The college football season is a long one and any team can turn things around in October and November but it seems likely we will know a lot about this Auburn team by the end of September.
Auburn’s first five games of the season include two very winnable home games but three road trips to what used to be Big XII country against Baylor, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Those three games could put the Tigers in a tough position by the time Georgia visits The Plains in October.
If Auburn comes out of that stretch with a winning record, we know that momentum can be a dangerous thing inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. And getting to host rivals Georgia and Alabama should keep fans invested throughout the season.
If Jackson Arnold proves to be the answer and Auburn wins two or even all three road games during the early stretch, the Tigers might be back to being the national contender they expect to be.
What’s your bold prediction for the 2025 Auburn football season? Let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
