As the calendar flips toward the tail end of the 2025 college football campaign, the Auburn Tigers have cast a wide net in their quest for a new head football coach, just two weeks after parting ways with Hugh Freeze.

With athletic director John Cohen at the helm of the effort, the Tigers are reportedly in dialogue with close to a dozen prospects, aiming to secure a visionary leader to steer the program’s long-term trajectory.

With the regular season winding down, speculation is rife about the individuals who could soon plant their flag in Jordan-Hare Stadium. The search has encompassed a diverse array of coaching archetypes, all while navigating the delicate balance of availability among marquee figures.

Pete Nakos of On3 reports that Auburn has initiated discussions with approximately 10 individuals, featuring names such as Jon Sumrall, D.J. Durkin as the current interim leader, Clark Lea, Brent Key, Eli Drinkwitz, Eric Morris, Alex Golesh, and Ryan Silverfield, alongside a few additional contenders. Nakos further noted that Sumrall, Lea, Durkin, and Drinkwitz have surfaced as initial favorites in the race.

Strikingly absent from Auburn’s radar is James Franklin, the ex-Penn State headman. Even though he was viewed as a prime commodity for various vacancies—including this one—at the outset of the hiring frenzy, Franklin is “not expected to be a factor in the search,” per Nakos.

Franklin’s tenure at Penn State ended on October 12 following a middling 3-3 opening stretch, and he’s since surfaced in conversations for other gigs, including initial outreach from Virginia Tech.

As postseason play looms large, the Tigers’ recruitment drive is poised to ramp up, particularly as they pivot away from one of the offseason’s biggest unsigned talents. The goal now: unearth the next game-changer without delay.

It will be very interesting to see who Auburn lands on to lead the program into the future. The Tigers can’t afford to miss with their new hire.