Aug 212 min read

Bottom Line: Auburn Tigers 2024 Season Prediction

It is Year 2 under coach Hugh Freeze and he welcomes 17 starters back from last year's 6-7 team, including nine on offense. The Tigers have posted two winning seasons in the last five years. What can Auburn do in 2024?

Auburn Tigers Offense

Auburn will have some talent on offense, especially at running back and wide receiver. Quarterback Payton Thorne took a step back in Freeze’s system, throwing for only 1,755 yards, 16 touchdowns and 10 INTs in 2023, after passing for 2,679 yards, 19 TDs and 11 INTs at Michigan State in 2022.

In addition, Thorne rushed for 515 yards and 5 touchdowns, so he can extend plays with his legs. Thorne has thrown 34 INTs in his collegiate career. If he can stop throwing footballs to the opposing defense, the Tigers might surprise some teams. Can Thorne throw more than 20 TD passes this season, something he has not done since 2021?

It is imperative that Auburn improves at the most important position on the field this season. Fortunately, this challenge is made easier in that Thorne will have talented weapons on the perimeter including:

TE Rivaldo Fairweather: 38 catches, 394 yards, 6 TDs, 2024 Mackey Award Watch List
WR Robert Lewis (transfer from Georgia State): 70 catches, 877 yards, 7 TDs, 2024 Biletnikoff Watch List
WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith (transfer from Penn State): 53 catches, 673 yards, 4 TDs
WR Cam Coleman: Consensus five-star recruit and the offensive MVP at A-Day after catching 4 passes for 92 yards and a touchdown. Coleman was coached in high school by former Auburn quarterback Patrick Nix

Running back Jarquez Hunter will carry most of the load for Auburn’s rushing attack. Last season he rushed for 909 yards and 7 touchdowns.

Going into his fourth season on "The Plains," Hunter has been named to the 2024 Doak Walker Award and the Maxwell Award watch lists. This season he will run behind an experienced offensive line that returns four starters.

Auburn Tigers Defense

The Tigers return seven starters (including transfers) on the defensive side of the ball. Linebacker Eugene Asante leads this unit after recording 86 tackles in 2023. In addition, the Tigers will have standout LB Jalen McLeod (48 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss), defensive back Jerrin Thompson, a transfer from Texas (38 tackles, 3 INTs, 7 pass breakups) and Duke transfer LB Dorian Mausi (61 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 INT).

Final Prediction

The Auburn Tigers are one to two years from being special. According to On3, they have the No. 6 recruiting class in 2025 and as of right now, according to 247Sports, they have the top-rated class in 2026. Combine that with talented players they could pick up in the Transfer Portal and Auburn could be tough to beat two years from now.

The Tigers can still get to bowl eligibility this season, however. They play at home for the entire month of September, hosting Alabama A&M, California, New Mexico, Arkansas and Oklahoma before traveling to Georgia. The road schedule is daunting as Auburn will also travel to Missouri, Kentucky and Alabama. Other home games against Vanderbilt, Louisiana-Monroe and Texas A&M complete the schedule.

In this 2024 season, the Tigers will finish 6-6.

Auburn kicks off the season against Alabama A&M on Aug. 31.