If there’s one thing Paul Finebaum doesn’t do, it’s offer hollow praise. The longtime SEC analyst and polarizing radio personality has built a career out of challenging blue-blood programs, holding coaches’ feet to the fire, and calling out underachievers in a conference where success is demanded and excuses are quickly discarded. So, when Finebaum recently voiced agreement with Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze about the Tigers’ outlook for the 2025 season—particularly about a key player he referred to as a “linchpin”—the SEC world took notice.
The player in question is not a flashy quarterback, nor is he a high-profile transfer or five-star newcomer. Instead, Freeze and Finebaum have focused their optimism on the heart of Auburn’s identity moving forward: offensive lineman Connor Lew. The sophomore center, who took his lumps in 2024 but emerged as a stabilizing force late in the season, has become the foundation of what both Freeze and Finebaum believe could be a breakthrough campaign for the Tigers in 2025.
Lew is not your typical household name among SEC fans—yet. But if Freeze’s words are any indication, he might be the most important player on Auburn’s roster. Freeze has lauded his maturity, football IQ, and leadership repeatedly throughout the offseason, making it clear that Lew’s presence in the middle of the offensive line gives Auburn something it hasn’t had in years: continuity and control in the trenches.
That type of praise is not easily earned at Auburn, where offensive line play has been both the program’s Achilles heel and its punching bag for much of the past decade. For years, Auburn fans have watched their team lose control of games at the line of scrimmage, often struggling to protect quarterbacks and open running lanes against the relentless defensive fronts of the SEC West. But now, under Freeze’s leadership and with Lew anchoring the interior, there is a different energy surrounding the unit.
Finebaum, never shy about criticizing Auburn when warranted, has echoed Freeze’s sentiments during multiple radio appearances this spring. He went as far as to say that if Auburn does make a leap in 2025, Connor Lew will be “a huge reason why.” That’s high praise from a man who has famously feuded with Auburn coaches and fans in the past, and it suggests that Freeze’s message is beginning to resonate outside of the Plains.
Part of what makes Lew’s emergence so notable is the context of Freeze’s broader vision for the program. After a rocky first season in 2023 and a transitional 2024 marked by inconsistency at quarterback and offensive line shuffling, Freeze has made it a priority to build Auburn from the inside out. That process began with player development and continued with strategic additions through the transfer portal. Yet even with new pieces arriving, it is Lew—the returning stalwart—who has earned the coach’s full confidence.
In an era where NIL deals and transfer movement dominate headlines, Lew’s rise is a throwback to the developmental model that Auburn fans used to celebrate under former greats like Pat Dye and Tommy Tuberville. He’s not flashy on social media. He doesn’t do many interviews. But he commands respect in the locker room and has become the linchpin of an offense that Freeze believes will surprise critics in 2025.
That kind of belief from a coach isn’t uncommon during spring and summer. Every program has its breakout candidates and offseason MVPs. But what makes Lew’s case different is how consistently Freeze and his staff have pointed to him as the emotional and physical centerpiece of their operation. When discussing offensive philosophy, Freeze has repeatedly emphasized the importance of communication and trust between center and quarterback. Lew, by all accounts, has mastered the former and is pushing toward elite territory with the latter.
Finebaum’s support of Freeze’s confidence in Lew reflects a broader shift in how the national media views Auburn. For years, the Tigers were seen as a chaotic program—talented, yes, but lacking stability or identity. With frequent coaching changes, quarterback controversies, and front-office dysfunction, Auburn was often a punchline rather than a contender. But behind the scenes, Freeze has been methodically reshaping the culture. And in Lew, he may have found the kind of player who sets the tone in a way that transcends box scores and stat sheets.
During spring practices, reports from beat writers and team insiders painted a consistent picture: Lew was the most vocal leader during offensive drills, the first in line during workouts, and the last to leave film sessions. He has embraced the challenge of becoming not just a quality player, but the emotional center of a unit desperate for identity. His film in 2024 showed clear improvement as the season progressed, especially in SEC play. By the time Auburn faced Alabama in the Iron Bowl, Lew had become a calming presence, neutralizing blitz pickups and keeping the offense composed in high-pressure situations.
For Freeze, that’s everything. A longtime offensive play-caller with deep roots in tempo-based systems, Freeze has always relied on smart, stable centers to keep things running. At Ole Miss, it was Ben Still. At Liberty, it was Thomas Sargeant. Now at Auburn, he sees the same qualities in Lew—if not more. That’s why Freeze hasn’t hesitated to build his system around the sophomore, despite his relative youth.
Finebaum, ever the observer of deeper program dynamics, has picked up on this as well. While national media tends to focus on quarterbacks, receivers, or defensive standouts when predicting team success, Finebaum has taken a different route with Auburn. He sees Lew as the embodiment of what Freeze wants to build: tough, reliable, and unafraid to lead in the shadows. And in the always-brutal SEC West—where LSU, Alabama, and Texas A&M remain formidable foes—that kind of leadership is invaluable.
The praise for Lew doesn’t come without caveats. Freeze has acknowledged that Auburn’s offensive line, while improved, still has ground to cover to match up with the top-tier units in the conference. The Tigers have added size and depth through the portal, and returning players have made strides, but there’s still work to be done. What Lew offers is the consistency and communication to pull that group together, particularly against elite defensive lines like Georgia’s and Alabama’s.
Auburn fans, always passionate and opinionated, have begun to rally behind Lew as well. Social media chatter during the spring game was filled with praise for the offensive line’s cohesion, and many pointed to Lew’s leadership as the difference. One fan even called him “our Jason Kelce,” a nod to the future Hall of Fame Eagles center known for his toughness and command.
That’s a lofty comparison, and Lew would likely brush it off. But the sentiment captures how desperate Auburn fans have been for a player like him—someone who doesn’t seek the spotlight, but who holds everything together when the pressure is highest. In the SEC, where trenches decide championships, players like that don’t just matter—they determine legacies.
As the 2025 season approaches, Freeze’s confidence in Lew will be tested early and often. Auburn’s schedule is brutal, featuring early showdowns with Oklahoma and Texas along with the usual SEC gauntlet. But with a more experienced quarterback room, a revamped receiving corps, and Lew commanding the offensive front, there is cautious optimism that Auburn could take a real step forward.
Finebaum, never one to lavish praise recklessly, has continued to bang the drum for Auburn’s potential resurgence. On a recent appearance with ESPN’s Greg McElroy, Finebaum doubled down, saying that while Auburn still has gaps to close, “if they get above-average quarterback play, Connor Lew and that offensive line could push them into the top third of the league.”
For a program starved for consistency and credibility, that kind of talk matters. It signals a shift—not just in perception, but in possibility. Auburn may not be back in the College Football Playoff conversation just yet, but they no longer feel adrift. They have a plan, a culture, and according to both Freeze and Finebaum, a linchpin in Connor Lew who embodies both.
What comes next will depend on execution, health, and continued development. Freeze has shown he can recruit. He’s shown he can build. Now, he needs to show he can win—consistently. And if he does, don’t be surprised if the story begins, and maybe ends, with a player whose name won’t light up scoreboards, but whose fingerprints will be on every single play.
In the SEC, the trenches are sacred. They are where dynasties begin and dreams collapse. In 2025, Auburn believes it finally has a player who can anchor the chaos and give the Tigers a shot to rise again. His name is Connor Lew. And if Hugh Freeze and Paul Finebaum are right, we’ll all be hearing a lot more about him soon.
