"I will never forget": Hugh Freeze recounts painful Johnny Manziel moment that still makes him uncomfortable

Hugh Freeze has been a head coach for more than a decade now. In all his years of coaching he has encountered countless talented players, from those he’s coached to those he’s coached against. However, one opponent still stands out vividly in his memory.

During Friday’s episode of “Coca Cola Conversations,” Freeze was asked to name the best college football player he’s ever coached against. He recalled a painful memory involving former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel.

“The first one that pops in my mind, and whatever you think about him, this, that or the other, I don't care,” Freeze said (Timestamp: 2:00). “But the first guy that just popped in my mind when you said that was Johnny Manziel.

"He stole a game from us in Oxford that I will never forget. I just will never, I mean, never. We had them beat dead to right there inside the five yard line. Got to go 97 yards, fourth and 19. And the things he did on that drive. You just kind of marvel at.”

Manziel was known for his marvellous playmaking and as the first freshman to win the Heisman Trophy. His talent made him a nightmare for his opponents, and given his repertoire, it’s evident that he’s a player Hugh Freeze reveres to this day.

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Hugh Freeze’s Auburn might be on the “right direction” as per analyst

Auburn fans are hoping for a better season in 2025 from Hugh Freeze and ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum believes they could be on the right track.

“I like Auburn to be better,” Finebaum said, via McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning on Tuesday. “Are they good enough? I’m not sure yet. But I think Auburn is trending in the right direction.”

After fishing 5-7 in 2024, Auburn missed out on a bowl game and lost several winnable matchups, including games against California, Vanderbilt and Oklahoma. Earlier this offseason, Finebaum said that those kinds of mistakes can’t happen if Auburn wants to compete in the SEC.

Now entering Hugh Freeze’s third season with the Tigers, Finebaum sees improvement.

“I think the opener is a little bit scary because it’s a hostile situation on the first Friday night with a new quarterback. But, I think they’ll live and die with Jackson Arnold,” Finebaum added. “Ultimately, though, I think it’s a much better team.

“I think it’s a much better staff, and I think somewhere in that eight-win range would be considered successful. I know that’s below Auburn standards, maybe nine, but you can’t go below eight. Otherwise, the program just looks like it is literally stuck in the mud.”

Auburn’s season will begin on Aug. 29 with a road game at Baylor.