< Previous20 STATS COMPARISONS AUBURNTIGERS.COM AUBURN STATS LEADERS RUSHING ATT NET AVG TD LONG AVG/G Jeremiah Cobb 89 564 6.3 4 46 80.6 Jackson Arnold 100 261 2.6 7 27 37.3 Durell Robinson 3 57 19.0 1 54 28.5 PASSING CMP-ATT-INT PCT YDS TD AVG/G Jackson Arnold 124-195-1 63.6 1,190 5 170.0 Deuce Knight 2-5-0 40.0 20 0 20.0 RECEIVING NO. YDS AVG TD LONG AVG/G Cam Coleman 30 413 13.8 2 46 59.0 Eric Singleton Jr. 36 311 8.6 2 37 44.4 Horatio Fields 12 106 8.8 1 14 26.5 DEFENSE UA A TOT TFL-YDS SACKS-YDS Xavier Atkins 36 12 48 9.0-36 5.0-25 Robert Woodyard Jr. 27 11 38 7.0-15 2.0-8 Kaleb Harris 23 5 28 1.0-2 0.0-0 ARKANSAS STATS LEADERS RUSHING ATT NET AVG TD LONG AVG/G Mike Washington Jr. 96 671 7.0 5 57 95.9 Taylen Green 83 589 7.1 5 64 84.1 Braylen Russell 44 248 5.6 3 23 35.4 PASSING CMP-ATT-INT PCT YDS TD AVG/G Taylen Green 138-221-5 62.4 1,910 17 272.9 KJ Jackson 6-8-0 75.0 109 1 36.3 RECEIVING NO. YDS AVG TD LONG AVG/G O’Mega Blake 42 582 13.9 4 36 83.1 Raylen Sharpe 23 280 12.2 2 37 40.0 CJ Brown 19 230 12.1 3 26 32.9 DEFENSE UA A TOT TFL-YDS SACKS-YDS Xavian Sorey 26 27 53 3.0-13 0.5-6 Stephen Dix Jr. 16 31 47 3.0-5 0.0-0 Larry Worth III 24 15 39 0.5-0 0.0-0 Julian Neal 23 16 39 1.5-2 0.0-0 Here is a quick look at the top team statistics for the Tigers and the Razorbacks: Quick Look n Total Touchdowns 2134 n Rushing Yards 1,1351,577 n Passing Yards 1,2102,019 STATS COMPARISONS22 COVER FEATURE AUBURNTIGERS.COM COVER FEATURE BY: JEFF SHEARER In its quest to earn an SEC victory Sat- urday at Arkansas, Auburn can count on senior offensive lineman Dillon Wade. “I want to help pick my team up when they need me the most,” Wade said, “and help us get over this hump. We have to get out of the valley and get a win.” A veteran of 50 college football games, including 32 at Auburn, there’s nothing Wade enjoys more than execut- ing a play that calls for him to pull, moving laterally behind the line of scrimmage to lead block. “I just pull and run full speed at the defensive end, and we see who the real man is,” Wade said. “You have to have the mindset. It’s either you or him.” Auburn fans are used to seeing Wade on the Tigers’ offensive line. Until this year, they just weren’t sure where No. 52 would line up. Mr. Versatility, Wade played every O-line position but center last season, including more than 100 snaps at three spots. A high school tackle in Houston, Texas, Wade played left tackle at Tulsa before transferring in 2023 to Auburn, earning the starting left tackle position that season. “(Offensive line) Coach (Jake) Thorn- ton was a big reason for me coming to Auburn,” Wade said. “He really had the vision I wanted to follow. It seemed like a perfect fit that the system in place was perfect for me to come here.” Last year, Wade displayed his adapt- ability, starting six games at left guard before moving back to left tackle for the last five games. “Last year, we tried me at guard,” Wade said. “Now I’m getting center reps in my free time. It’ll help me at the next level, hopefully.” Dillon’s versatility could come in handy with starting center and team captain Connor Lew missing the rest of the season after knee surgery, but Wade is settled in for now at left guard, where he’s started all seven games this season. “They say guard fits me more naturally and I agree with that,” Wade said. “Guard puts me in a position to get my hands on the defenders quickly and use my athlet- icism to my advantage.” Dillon’s favorite position? “Whatever the team needs me to play,” he said. With only 53 spots on NFL rosters, Wade sees his versatility as his ticket to professional football. When you can play multiple positions, says Wade, “You’re more valuable.” When transfer tackles Xavier Chap- lin and Mason Murphy joined Auburn’s AUBURN O-LINEMAN DILLON WADE, ‘MR. VERSATILITY’24 COVER FEATURE AUBURNTIGERS.COM O-line room, Wade moved back inside to left guard for the 2025 season. “It’s a great fit for me,” said Wade, who will make his 30th consecutive Auburn start Saturday in Fayetteville. Last December, Wade announced on social media that he would remain at Au- burn for his third season on the Plains, his sixth in college football including Covid and redshirt seasons at Tulsa. “Auburn is contagious,” Wade said. “It didn’t feel right leaving. Another year was only right.” In addition to playing left guard or wherever else he’s needed, Wade seeks to fulfill another role this season, as a leader by example. “I’m trying to teach everyone the rule of greatness,” he said. “It’s about giving max- imum effort and doing the best you can every single day. Give your all to your team because we give each other our best. We’re all trying to get greater every single day.” It’s been an eventful offseason for Dil- lon Wade, beginning with his graduation from Auburn University last December in sociology. “I’m very thankful I was able to achieve that goal,” he said. Then on March 31, Wade married for- mer Auburn women’s tennis standout Selin Ovunc. “I’m thankful,” said Wade, expressing his goal now that’s married. “Be a great husband to my wife.” Looking back on his first two seasons at Auburn, what stands out to Wade is what happens before games. “Tiger Walk is a magical experience,” he said. “You can watch it on television. It’s not the same. You can only experi- ence it if you’re at the Tiger Walk.” Then it’s time for kickoff. “It’s the most electrifying stadium I’ve ever been in,” Wade said. “You can liter- ally feel the energy from the fans. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about playing in Jordan-Hare. I love it.” Wade appreciates everything Auburn offers, from first-class facilities to coach- ing to sports medicine. “The amount of resources truly avail- able is what first stood out to me,” he said. “You hear it all the time that Auburn has all these resources, but to actually see it in front of you is kind of ridiculous.” Listed at 6-4, 303 pounds, Wade has maximized Auburn’s nutrition and strength and conditioning programs, after being listed at 290 pounds at Tulsa. “When I got to Auburn, I was able to gain weight and get stronger in all areas because of the resources we have here,” he said. “It’s a blessing. Now I see why people dream of coming to Auburn. If I grew up seeing all that Auburn had to offer, I wouldn’t have wanted to go any- where else. I’d pick Auburn any day over any other.” Focused fully on football, Dillon Wade has yet to determine which career to pur- sue after he’s finished playing. He does, however, want Auburn fans to know he’s giving it his all. “I’m doing my best, Wade said. “I’m trying my hardest out there to help my team win the game.” COVER FEATUREOFFICIAL INTERCOLLEGIATE SPORTS MEDICINE PROVIDER OF AUBURN TIGERS ATHLETICS WE ARE HERE FOR L TO R: Michael Goodlett, MD, FAAFP- Team Physician Benton A. Emblom, MD - Team Orthopaedic Surgeon Jos Edison, DO - Associate Team Physician At Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center, we’re here for the competitor in all of us — from rookies chasing their dreams to legends who never quit. We’re here for the believers, the driven, the passionate. We’re here for the ones who rise, again and again. We’re here for the Auburn Tigers. To schedule an appointment, call us at 205-939-3699 Locations: Birmingham | Cullman | Gardendale | Hoover | Pelham | Trussville ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEONS James R. Andrews, MD, Emeritus Christopher M. Beaumont, MD E. Lyle Cain, Jr., MD Andrew M. Cordover, MD Jeff rey C. Davis, MD Jeff rey R. Dugas, MD Benton A. Emblom, MD Christopher H. Garrett, MD Daniel C. Kim, MD Wayne McGough, Jr., MD Kathleen E. McKeon, MD K. David Moore, MD Charles C. Pitts, Jr., MD Marcus A. Rothermich, MD Norman E. Waldrop, III, MD NON-SURGICAL SPORTS MEDICINE PHYSICIANS Matthew B. Beidleman, MD Christopher S. Carter, MD Emily Bell Casey, MD Ricardo E. Colberg, MD Rachel G. Henderson, MD Monte M. Ketchum, DO JoséO.Ortega,MD T. Daniel Smith, MD Jay S. Umarvadia, MD PHYSICIAL MEDICINE & REHABILITATION Charles T. Carnel, MDY O U R T E A M S . Y O U R S T A T I O N S . WINGSFM.COMESPNAU.COM FOOTBALL/MEN’SBASKETBALL/WOMEN’SBASKETBALL/BASEBALL/TIGERTALK ALLPLAYHERE. Auburn-Opelika’sOfficialFlagshipStationsoftheAuburnTigersCOMPETITIVE COMPETITIVE THE COMPETITIVE EDGE EDGE EDGE HARBERT COLLEGE OF BUSINESS HARBERT.AUBURN.EDU At the hArbert college of business excellence goes beyond the classroom. From boardrooms to stadiums, our students lead with grit, purpose, and the Auburn spirit. WE’RE NOT JUST PREPARING BUSINESS LEADERS —WE’RE INSPIRING EXCELLENCE ON AND OFF THE FIELD. X Sophie is a senior Business Analytics major with a minor in Business Engineering Technology. She’s active in Women in Technology and Sports Analytics student organizations.28 HEAD COACH HUGH FREEZE AUBURNTIGERS.COM Hugh Freeze became the 31st head football coach in Auburn history in No- vember 2022. Freeze has more than three decades of continued coaching success, including head coaching ex- perience that has led to conference ti- tles, nationally ranked recruiting classes and bowl appearances at multiple stops during his highly decorated career. In Freeze’s first season at Auburn, despite a shorthanded roster, the 2023 Tigers posted a 6-7 record and earned a Music City Bowl berth. In 2024, the Tigers continued to build on and off the field. Every home game was sold out for the second consecutive season as fans embraced Freeze’s brand of football and Auburn garnered top 10 recruiting class- es for the 2024 and 2025 campaigns. Freeze came to Auburn from Liber- ty University, where he was head coach from 2019-22. Freeze led the Flames to four bowl games and a 34-15 record. Freeze experienced similar success at each of his head coaching stops prior to Liberty that include Lambuth Univer- sity (2008-09), Arkansas State (2011) and Ole Miss (2012-16). Freeze led each school to double-digit win seasons, while helping Ole Miss to a top 10 national fin- ish in 2015. His on-field coaching record in 14 seasons is 114-61. Liberty was just one of five FBS teams in the country to win a bowl game each season from 2019-21, joining Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and Louisiana. It was the second team in NCAA history to win a bowl game during its first three full sea- sons at the FBS level, all coming under Freeze’s leadership. Freeze guided Liberty to a 10-1 overall record in 2020 and the team’s first-ever national ranking as it finished No. 17 in the country. That season, Liberty had the best start in program history (8-0), tied the program record for wins (10) and de- feated two Power 5 programs in Syracuse and Virginia Tech. For his efforts, Freeze was a finalist for the George Munger Col- legiate Coach of the Year Award. Known for his fast-paced offensive style, Freeze’s 2020 Liberty team set a school record for rushing yards in a season (2,776) and ranked No. 9 in the country in rushing offense. Liberty also ranked No. 15 nationally in total offense (482.7 yards per game) and No. 11 in to- tal defense (317.7 yards per game). The Flames were one of three teams in the country to rank in the top 20 in both total offense and total defense in 2020, join- ing Clemson and BYU. Spearheading Liberty’s outstand- ing offense in 2020 was former Auburn quarterback Malik Willis, who burst into the spotlight leading the nation in rushing yards (944) and touchdowns (14) by a FBS quarterback. Willis earned All-America honors, was named to the Davey O’Brien Award Quarterback Class of 2020 and was on the 2020 Maxwell Award watch list. The Flames posted an eight-win sea- son in 2021 after facing eight bowl-eli- gible teams during that campaign. Lib- erty’s defense finished the 2021 season ranked No. 7 nationally in passing yards allowed, No. 11 in total defense and No. 24 in scoring defense. Offensively, Lib- erty finished 2021 ranked No. 25 in the country in scoring offense and No. 8 in passing yards per completion. Leading the charge for the Flames in 2021 once again was Willis, who was a semifinalist for the Davey O’Brien Na- tional Quarterback Award and the Max- well Award and a top 10 candidate for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. Willis was a third-round draft pick of the Ten- nessee Titans in the 2022 NFL Draft. In 2022, Liberty finished the regu- lar season 8-4 with wins over Arkansas and BYU; three of the four losses came by a combined five points. The Flames earned a berth in the Boca Raton Bowl. While head coach at Ole Miss, Freeze took the Rebels to bowl games in three of his five seasons, including wins in the 2013 Music City and the 2016 Sugar bowls. Freeze’s time in Oxford was highlight- ed by a 10-3 campaign in 2015, the pro- gram’s first 10-win season since 2003. The Rebels won their first four games of the 2015 season, including a 43-37 road victory over No. 2 Alabama, Ole Miss’ first win in Tuscaloosa since 1988. The Rebels were ranked as high as No. 3 in the national polls in both 2014 and 2015 and finished in the national Top 10 for the first time since 1969 after the Sugar Bowl win. Ole Miss was ranked in the top 25 for 45 weeks over Freeze’s five-year tenure, including a string of 27 straight weeks in the polls for the first time since 1957-62. Freeze collected four nationally ranked recruiting classes at Ole Miss. In 2013 and 2016, his recruiting classes ranked in the top five nationally, the best in program history. Freeze and his staff developed 20 players who earned all-SEC honors, in- cluding All-Americans Cody Prewitt, Senquez Golson, Robert Nkemdiche, Laremy Tunsil, Evan Engram, Laquon Treadwell and Trae Elston. HUGH FREEZE HEAD COACHNext >