AUBURN — With the mix of talented wide receivers Hugh Freeze has put together, both for Auburn football and previous schools, that tight end can play a vital role in the coach’s offense.
The easiest example is Evan Engram, who has maintained a successful NFL career after serving as one of the biggest cogs in Freeze’s passing attack at Ole Miss. He was one of the Rebels’ five-best receivers in terms of yardage production from 2014 to 2016.
Freeze couldn’t find similar returns on the position during his time at Liberty, but his brief time on the Plains has put him on a path to something similar. In 2023, FIU transfer Rivaldo Fairweather arrived and led the Tigers in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns and receptions.
He turned in a marginally lesser output last fall, but that point’s moot. Fairweather’s eligibility expired with last season, and now, Freeze and the Tigers will be looking to someone new as their pass-catching option at the position in 2025.
Ahead of the season, here’s a look at Freeze’s history with tight ends — and which players could step up at the position for Auburn this fall.
Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze’s career tight production
Parenthetical indicates percentage of receiving production from tight end position.
- Career (2010-16; 2019-24): 437 receptions (12.9%); 5,404 receiving yards (12.4%); 58 touchdown receptions (17.5%)
- Auburn (2023-24): 86 receptions (20.5%); 925 receiving yards (17.5%); 13 touchdown receptions (28.9%)
- Liberty (2019-22): 111 receptions (11.9%); 1,340 receiving yards (10.4%); 23 touchdown receptions (21.1%)
- Ole Miss (2012-16): 204 receptions (14.2%); 2,871 receiving yards (15.5%); 19 touchdown receptions (14.1%)
- Arkansas State (2010-11): 36 receptions (6.1%); 268 receiving yards (3.9%); 3 touchdown receptions (6.8%)
Of the 13 seasons that Freeze has coordinated a Division I offense, his tight end usage in the passing attack is largely marginal. Tight ends have only made up more than 15% of his passing offenses’ production in one regard.
When it comes to Auburn, however, the numbers are skewed differently.
Be it Liberty, Ole Miss or Arkansas State, Freeze has never used the tight end position in the passing game as much as he has on the Plains. More than a fifth of the receptions Auburn has totaled under his watch have been from tight ends, and the position group makes up nearly a third of Auburn’s total touchdown receptions the past two seasons.
What did Auburn football’s tight end room look like in 2024?
- Auburn football: 2024 tight end room
- Brandon Frazier (senior)
- Grant Hildago (junior)
- Luke Deal (senior)
- Micah Riley (sophomore)
- Rivaldo Fairweather (senior)
- Rico Walker (sophomore)
While Auburn had six scholarship tight ends rostered in 2024, the bulk of their receiving production came from Fairweather. His numbers weren’t akin to an All-SEC effort in 2023, but he still tallied 372 receiving yards and 2 touchdown catches on 31 receptions. The rest of the group combined for just 25, 2 and 4 in those respective categories.
What will Auburn football’s tight end room look like in 2025?
- Auburn football: 2025 tight end room
- Brandon Frazier (senior)
- Hollis Davidson III (freshman)
- Preston Howard (junior)
- Ryan Ghea (freshman)
- Tate Johnson (senior)
At this point, it’s unclear who would be Auburn’s best pass-catching threat at tight end this fall. Frazier and Howard, a Maryland transfer, have a combined 68 games of Power Four experience under their belt. However, they’ve also combined for just 49 receptions, good for 470 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Howard carries the bulk of that production, grabbing 37 receptions for 349 yards and a touchdown in two seasons with the Terrapins.
Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at acole@gannett.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter. To support Adam’s work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.
