Hugh Freeze is currently on the hot seat at Auburn, with James Franklin being suggested as one of the potential replacements. It was reported earlier this week that if the Tigers lost to Arkansas, it might have spelled the end for Freeze. However, they managed to come out victorious.
This season, the Tigers are currently 4-4. According to PFSN’s playoff meter, they are projected to finish the season with a 6-5 record. Currently, they are not bowl-eligible yet. But they are still in the running, as securing a bowl game could aid Freeze in keeping his job.
James Franklin’s Relationship With Freshman QB Linked to Accepting Auburn Job
On the latest episode of “Prime Time for College Football.” The college football analysts discussed the current coaching carousel following LSU’s decision to fire Brian Kelly. One of the names discussed was Franklin, linked to a switch to the SEC.
“I would love for Auburn to say that. The way that you could recruit at Auburn, I definitely think he could get over the hump at Auburn. Andy Reid didn’t get over the hump until he got to Kansas City and got Mahomes. James Franklin and Deuce Knight could be a match made in heaven.”
The Auburn freshman quarterback has only seen the field once this season. During Auburn’s home opener earlier this season, he went 2-for-5 passing for 20 yards. A five-star recruit out of George Country, Knight was the fifth-best QB prospect in the 2025 class.
In 2024, Knight had 100 completions out of 165 in high school. He finished the season with 2,067 yards with 25 TD and 5 INT, leading George Country to a 6-4 record as a senior. He also missed a couple of games due to a hamstring injury.
“Dual-threat southpaw with a top-flight testing profile that has continued to improve as a passer, but remains very much a work in progress as he embarks on his collegiate career.” 247 Sports Director of Scouting, Andrew Irvin, wrote in his report on the quarterback.
“You’re gonna be able to recruit Running Backs like, there’s a ton of potential at Auburn. There are some people who feel like James Franklin would be a great candidate for the Auburn job, and there’s gonna be so many openings this cycle, he’ll get one of them.”
In the 2026 recruitment class, Auburn has had two four-star prospects decommit in June. Linebacker Shadarius Toodle flipped to Georgia, but later flipped back. Wide receiver Devin Carter joined the Florida State Seminoles. They are in the bottom five in SEC 2026 recruiting.
ON3 Sports’ Pete Nakos recently gave an update on the ongoing head coach search in the SEC. During this interview, he revealed that there were a few potential “Top SEC” jobs that would pass up on Franklin; however, Auburn would most likely not be among them.
“In terms of James Franklin. I mean, outside of maybe Florida and a couple of SEC jobs that opened this cycle. I think he’s going to be the top name on every board.” Nakos revealed.
With Auburn being among the top ten spenders in College Football, Franklin would undoubtedly have the finances in order to challenge for a National Championship. With the Freshman quarterback as well, the Tigers could be the perfect destination for the former Penn State head coach.
