It’s a new era in Auburn football. Hugh Freeze has returned to the SEC and landed on The Plains.

The hope is that Freeze can boost the program back into conference and national prominence like he did at Ole Miss, where the Rebels rose to a No. 3 national ranking in both 2014 and 2015 after back-to-back victories over Alabama.

Freeze has hit the ground running both in recruiting and the transfer portal. It should be interesting to see what the team looks like when the fall of 2023 rolls around. Here are 10 burning questions as the Tigers head into the offseason.

1. Can Freeze turn around the Auburn program like he did at Ole Miss?

In a word, “yes.” But he’ll need total cooperation from boosters and administration on down to coaches and players.

Ole Miss was a dormant program before Freeze arrived on the scene. Oh, there were some decent seasons here and there. But Freeze won 19 games in 2 seasons (2014-15), the most in any 2-year stretch for the program since the 1961-62 campaigns.

Yes, Freeze knows how to make a program successful. Who among us had ever heard of Liberty before Freeze coached there?

2. Will big-money donors stay out of Freeze’s way and let him run the program?

That has been the big question for many years at Auburn. It was obvious that they didn’t for predecessor Bryan Harsin. But that didn’t deter Freeze from jumping at the chance to coach in the SEC again. So at least he has the confidence that Auburn Naton can come together and pull in the same direction.

3. Will Robby Ashford hold onto his starting role at QB?

Though he had his moments, the Oregon transfer struggled for the most part, as did the entire team. It seems like a foregone conclusion that Auburn must add at least 1 more viable quarterback to the roster before the 2023 season.

Freeze is hoping to draw the attention of Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders, who is looking to transfer from the Cowboys’ program. Sanders would do well in Freeze’s system.

4. Can transfer Elijah McAllister be the next big pass rusher at Auburn?

Somebody will have to be. The Tigers lose both Derick Hall and Colby Wooden, their 2 top sackers from 2022. While the entire defensive line will be somewhat of a rebuild, it is key that McAllister step up his game at defensive end.

The 5th-year senior transfer from Vanderbilt recorded 6.5 tackles for loss in 36 games. At 6-6, 265, McAllister will be an imposing figure on Auburn’s defensive front.

5. Is transfer Dillon Wade the answer at tackle?

The offensive line is an area that Freeze has spent an abundance of time looking to upgrade. And with practically no experience at either tackle spot, Wade becomes a key to Auburn’s success next season. The Tulsa transfer was rated No. 3 among tackles in the transfer portal by 247Sports. The 6-4, 290-pounder played in 17 games over 2 seasons at Tulsa.

6. Who steps up at LB?

The departure of Owen Pappoe leaves huge shoes to fill. Freeze may have to hit the transfer portal for answers. Cam Riley and Wesley Steiner are serviceable, with the most experience on the current roster, and they will certainly have to step into leadership roles in 2023.

Riley was second on the team in tackles (66) behind Pappoe, and Steiner was 5th (46). The combination should ease the pain somewhat of the loss of Pappoe, but depth is still an issue.

7. Will Auburn have the top corners in the conference?

The Tigers will likely have the top DB coaching staff in the conference with Zac Etheridge and Wesley McGriff. And that should fit well with what looks to be the strength of the Auburn defense.

Super senior Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James are returning to help form what should be among the top position groups in the conference. Pritchett started all 12 games last season for Auburn, and he leads a group of standouts returning to the position.

It’s a stellar group that also includes Keionte Scott and Jaylin Simpson.

8. Can Jarquez Hunter pick up where Tank Bigsby left off?

He will definitely need to in order to lead the Tigers’ run game. And he showed signs of becoming Auburn’s go-to back over the latter part of the 2022 season. In each of the final 3 games, Hunter rushed for 100-plus yards, and he averaged a whopping 9.8 yards per carry.

He also caught 17 passes out of the backfield last season for 224 yards and a pair of TDs.

9. How much will the WR corps improve for 2023?

Of course, that depends on QB play. But a year of playing experience coupled with a new system should be helpful to both Ja’Varrius Johnson and Koy Moore. The pair led all Auburn receivers with a combined 46 catches for 807 yards and 4 TDs.

That doesn’t sound like much, and it really wasn’t considering Auburn had the worst passing game in the SEC in 2022. But expect significant improvement in the play of those 2 receivers, as well as the passing game in general, as Freeze puts his system into play for 2023.

10. What impact will TE transfer Rivaldo Fairweather have?

The big 6-5, 245-pound transfer from FIU could play a key role in the Auburn offense. The departure of stalwart John Samuel Shenker leaves a void in a critical position in Freeze’s system.

Fairweather led FIU with 165 receiving yards in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. Over 3 years there, he hauled in 54 passes for 838 yards and 5 TDs.