Quarterbacks don't come cheap and that may have been too much for Auburn

Over the last couple of weeks, there have been signs that reality is creeping in for the Auburn fanbase. Not all fans on Auburn message boards are sold that Hugh Freeze is recruiting well enough.

There has never been a good answer to why Hugh Freeze did not add a quarterback through the Transfer Portal. In May, Hugh Freeze explained his decision by saying he could not "bring himself to spend $1M on a quarterback." Given that the going rate for a quarterback talented enough to start in the SEC is at least $1M, why would Freeze blink?

There are two possible reasons why. One is sound and from a credible source. The other may have merit, but at this point, it is nothing more than an unsubstantiated rumor. The credible source is Josh Pate. In a recent conversation about Auburn on The War Rapport, Pate suggested a reason not to add a transfer quarterback might have had little to do with Payton Thorne and could have been because Freeze knows he has too many other roster holes for much success in the 2024 season. At the least, it is a plausible conjecture.

Maybe Auburn's pockets are not deep enough to meet all the needs of the football program. Which leads back to the current rumor. It is that a million dollars of money was reallocated from Auburn baseball to Auburn football. The rumor did not state if the dollars were part of the Auburn University budget or a reallocation of NIL resources. My quick take is to doubt the rumor because it seems implausible that Auburn Football would be so short of cash that it needed an extra million.

Instead, I think Josh Pate is right. Auburn is in for another 'so-so' season and funds need to go to 2025 player resources rather than 2024. Pate also said he thinks the 7.5 wins Over/Under is right for Auburn, and if he made a way too early choice, it would be to take the Under.

On a lighter note, I'll close with a treat for Alabama Crimson Tide fans.

And maybe Auburn has again hired a head coach not as good as Gus Malzahn.