Hank Brown’s journey to becoming Auburn’s starting quarterback has been anything but conventional. Initially one of Auburn’s lowest-ranked recruits in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports, Brown has now emerged as the face of the Tigers’ offense in Year 2 under head coach Hugh Freeze.
Brown’s path to Auburn wasn’t straightforward. For most of his recruitment, Auburn wasn’t even on his radar. In fact, Brown had been committed to Liberty University for nearly six months, set to play for Freeze in Conference USA. However, when Auburn hired Freeze in November 2022, everything changed. Just five days after Freeze’s hiring, Brown decommitted from Liberty and chose to follow his coach to Auburn, turning down an offer from UAB, where his high school coach, Trent Dilfer, was also recruiting him.
“There’s something different about Coach Freeze and his authenticity,” Brown shared with reporters, reflecting on his decision to stick with Freeze.
Freeze had seen potential in Brown early on, starting his recruitment when Brown was just a sophomore in high school. While Brown wasn’t the most highly touted prospect, Freeze saw qualities in him that others may have overlooked.
“I’ve always felt like he had this ‘it’ factor,” Freeze said. “He wasn’t the highest-ranked recruit, but there was something special about him.”
That belief has only grown stronger since Brown’s arrival at Auburn. Though he played sparingly last season, his performance in Auburn’s Music City Bowl loss to Maryland offered a glimpse of what he could bring to the table. While Brown didn’t win the starting quarterback role initially, he secured the backup position over the more experienced Holden Geriner. After two games into the 2024 season, Brown got his shot.
Named the starter for Auburn’s Week 3 matchup against New Mexico, Brown delivered in his debut, throwing for 235 yards and four touchdowns. It was a promising start, but Freeze remains cautious.
“If he keeps playing well, it could be a permanent fix,” Freeze said. “But if not, maybe it motivates others to step up and be better prepared.”
Brown’s next challenge will be stepping up against tougher competition. While his performance against New Mexico was impressive, it came against a team that ranked last in total defense. Auburn’s upcoming game against Arkansas will provide a more accurate test of Brown’s ability to lead the Tigers into SEC play.
“I’ve always believed he had something special,” Freeze said. “Now, we’ll find out at what level.”
With Brown leading the offense, Auburn fans have reason to be optimistic about the team’s future, especially with Freeze continuing to build his roster around talented young players like Brown.
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