Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze has not been shy about sharing his opinions on NIL rules and regulations. Earlier this year, Freeze told the media he’d like to see players sign contracts similar to those that coaches sign, meaning if they get paid and then choose to transfer to a new school, Auburn gets paid.

He has been asked repeatedly about his decision to stick with the four quarterbacks already on campus rather than bringing in someone from the transfer portal. While he emphasized that he feels good about the QB room and made the choice the work on developing Payton Thorne, Holden Geriner, Hank Brown, and Walker White, he also noted that NIL played a role.

“I just don’t feel comfortable with some of the bidding wars for some of the top guys in the portal,” Freeze admitted, per On3.

Though there is a level of discomfort for Freeze, with money’s role in recruiting now, he also told Auburn Live that he believes the Tigers have a great NIL collective helping to navigate the ever-changing landscape.

“Jason Campbell does a great job being a liaison between our personnel and the collective. He has a good head on his shoulders and does a really nice job of explaining real life because he has lived it from every side of it. We feel like we have a really good set up. Now, we are not into being the highest bidder. That may cost me in the long run, I don’t know, but that is just uncomfortable.”

Despite the challenges and uncertainty, Freeze still has hope for the future of college football and is optimistic that eventually there will be more rules and regulations tied to NIL and the transfer portal.

“I’m an optimist,” Freeze said when asked about where he sees college football ten years from now, per On3. “I’m looking forward to some changes that bring us some structure around the portal and the NIL world, and I think they’ve got to come.”