Lake Martin AMBUSH: Auburn coaches visit Alexander City

by Jeff Shearer
Lake Martin AMBUSH: Auburn coaches visit Alexander CityLake Martin AMBUSH: Auburn coaches visit Alexander City

ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. It’s not easy to say no to the Manning family but Auburn quarterback Jackson Arnold preferred to think of it as saying yes to the Tigers’ receivers when he declined an invitation to last week’s Manning Passing Academy.

“’I don’t want to miss a day of throwing with my guys,’” Arnold told head coach Hugh Freeze, explaining his decision after attending the previous two summers. “’The most important thing for me is to be with my teammates.’”

Freeze shared that story Wednesday with reporters at Willow Point Country Club before visiting with approximately 350 Auburn fans at the AMBUSH event hosted by the Auburn Alumni Association and the Lake Martin Auburn Club.

“His confidence has grown and grown since he’s been here,” Freeze said of Arnold, who transferred to Auburn in December after two seasons at Oklahoma. “Having those receivers to throw to is helpful. I’m excited about what Jackson brings to the table to lead us. He’s a confident, talented young man and someone I believe in strongly.”

Much of Wednesday's discussion revolved around the transition to college athletics’ new revenue sharing era.

“The main thing to me is retaining our current roster and then filling the gaps, whether it’s the portal or high school recruiting,” Freeze said. “Once things shake out with the reality of revenue sharing and outside NIL deals, and we get to the facts of all of that, we’ll be in the game with many top players.”

Butch Thompson (left) and Hugh Freeze at the Lake Martin AMBUSH eventButch Thompson (left) and Hugh Freeze at the Lake Martin AMBUSH event

Voice of the Auburn Tigers Andy Burcham hosted a panel discussion featuring athletic director John Cohan, baseball coach Butch Thompson, women’s basketball coach Larry Vickers and men’s basketball associate head coach Steven Pearl, fresh off an SEC regular season championship and the program’s second Final Four appearance.

With only sophomore point guard Tahaad Pettiford returning from the team that won 32 games and the NCAA South Regional championship, the 2025-26 Tigers will feature 10 new players.

“We’ve got our hands full,” Steven Pearl said of the Auburn’s upcoming schedule. “It’s going to be daunting but it will help us get ready for league play and the tournament. It’s a group that will cause more turnovers and get the pace going up and down, and could be beneficial.”

Vickers, hired in late March after leading Norfolk State to a program-record 30 wins, recently completed his first 100 days on the Plains and is installing his system during the summer with a new coaching staff and roster.

“You have a lot of time to build that culture, with us having a whole new team,” Vickers said. "Letting them know what the standards are here.”

After sweeping the NCAA Auburn Regional and hosting a super regional for the first time in program history, Thompson and his staff are navigating recruiting, retention and the MLB Draft in mid-July.

“I like our team. I like where we’re at,” said Thompson, entering his 11th season as Auburn’s head coach. “The date I’m looking at is Aug. 1, that’s the last day you can sign a professional contract. I think we have to stay relentless, head down, and keep getting as good as we can close to home plate until that Aug. 1 date hits.

“I think the strength of creating a consistent program right now is staying close to the guys who are in your program who want to be at Auburn, who love Auburn. That’s why we didn’t have a lot of transition. I think we did it right. I think that’s the way it should be done.”

The 2025 AMBUSH tour concludes July 14 in Atlanta on the eve of the Tigers’ appearance July 15 at SEC Media Days.

Just do it: Auburn coaches (l/r) Freeze, Vickers and Pearl sport Nike gear, one day after the Tigers began their Nike partnershipJust do it: Auburn coaches (l/r) Freeze, Vickers and Pearl sport Nike gear, one day after the Tigers began their Nike partnership

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer