Auburn's Hugh Freeze reportedly continues to hit golf course as recruiting slips in 2026 class

Auburn football recruiting is trending downward in the early days of the summer dead period, with two blue-chip prospects decommitting this week. That alone has Tigers fans a bit restless -- but even more so after seeing how much time coach Hugh Freeze spent on the golf course this month.

According to AL.com, Freeze (5.9 handicap) logged 11 rounds since the start of June in the USGA's GHIN database. He exceeded the number of public rounds the system displays, meaning he played more than 20 rounds already this calendar year.

Look, a good escape to the course now and then is enjoyable -- who doesn't want to chase a little sunshine and forget about work for a few hours? But with Auburn slipping on the recruiting trail, questions arise if now's the time for fewer birdies and more phone calls trying to convince recruits "The Plains" is where their future should be.

Auburn holds just six verbal commitments in its 2026 recruiting class, placing the Tigers at No. 83 nationally in the 247Sports Composite team rankings -- the lowest of any SEC program. They lost commitments from a pair of four-star prospects on Sunday and Monday. Then on Tuesday, Freeze logged his 11th round of the month, posting an 82, per AL.com.

Mobile (Ala.) Cottage Hill Christian Academy four-star linebacker Shadarius Toodle flipped to Georgia Sunday, a little more than a week after his official visit to Auburn. He previously made his commitment to the Tigers last July. Meanwhile, Douglasville (Ga.) Douglas County Top247 wide receiver Devin Carter decommitted on Monday, opting for Florida State. Carter pledged to Auburn back in January. Both ranked among the Tiger's top three commitments in the 2026 class at the time.

Auburn added just four new commitments since the start of the year -- three for the 2026 class and one for 2027. The most recent pledge came Tuesday from Nikau Hepi, a three-star offensive tackle from New Zealand.

After landing top-10 recruiting classes in each of the past two cycles, Freeze and the Tigers are now well off pace to keep that momentum going. On the field, Auburn is also trending the wrong way, with four straight losing seasons and an 11–14 overall record through Freeze's first two years at the helm.

Freeze, who revealed in February that he's battling an early form of prostate cancer, ranked No. 47 among Power Four coaches in CBS Sports' preseason list ahead of the 2025 campaign.

Three other SEC coaches posted scores to the GHIN this year, according to AL.com. South Carolina's Shane Beamer (11.0 handicap) logged three rounds so far in June and, like Freeze, surpassed 20 total rounds in 2025. Kentucky's Mark Stoops (16.8) most recently posted a round in May, while Alabama's Kalen DeBoer (20.4) hasn't posted a score this month but recorded six rounds since the start of the year.