AUBURN, Ala. – From the new faces to the new facility, Auburn football wrote two new chapters in its storied history Monday, the first practice for new head coach Hugh Freeze and the first at the Woltosz Football Performance Center.
"Incredible, beautiful, exciting time for me and the coaches," Freeze said. "The players had really good energy. They certainly brought a great energy to practice one. If we can repeat that for the next 14, we will absolutely get better."
After practicing across Biggio Drive at the Auburn Athletic Complex since its opening in 1989, the Tigers worked out for the first time at their new venue.
"That's a beautiful spot to hold practice," Freeze said. "We're thankful to all of our boosters and all the people who contributed to this wonderful facility."
Freeze rotated between position groups throughout practice while most reporters' cameras focused on Auburn's quarterbacks during the media viewing period.
"If they'll keep giving the same energy and effort that they gave today we'll get better throughout spring," Freeze said. "I'm leaving today's practice feeling very positive and optimistic.
"I think they're hungry. They want to be taught; they want to learn a different system. They've all been like a sponge and saying, 'Help me coach. I want to get better. I want to be the guy.'"
Regardless of how many snaps returning players logged last season or how highly recruited a first-year player may be, Freeze and his staff are offering everyone a fresh start when it comes to earning positions.
"There is no depth chart," said Freeze, repeating to reporters a message he had delivered to his team earlier in the day. "I don't care what group you trot out there on the field with. Everybody's going to get equal reps this spring and develop some depth."
While the head coach rotated among position groups, delegating to his coordinators, assistant coaches and staff frees up Freeze to continue recruiting, even during spring practice.
"That's given me freedom to recruit like crazy," Freeze said. "Get on the phone at practice with top guys and put extra effort into that."
The Tigers will practice twice more this week, a non-contact workout Wednesday and a padded practice Friday before taking a week off for spring break.
Auburn will scrimmage for the first time in practice No. 6 on March 17, Freeze said, leading up to the A-Day game on April 8, the format of which Freeze has yet to determine.
"They're wanting to learn," he said.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
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