Auburn reportedly making change at QB ahead of Week 3 game
Auburn plans to start redshirt freshman Hank Brown over senior Payton Thorne on Saturday when the team faces New Mexico, according to a report from Auburn Live’s Justin Hokanson.
Thorne started 12 of 13 games for the Tigers last season and opened the first 2 games of the 2024 season as the starter. He was a 26-game starter in 3 seasons at Michigan State prior to transferring to Auburn. He was also voted a team captain for the season. But a move was at least a topic of discussion after Auburn lost at home to Cal as a 2-score favorite in Week 2.
He had 10 interceptions a season ago. Auburn hoped that improved receiver play would help Thorne put that disappointment behind him, but he has opened the season with a 56% completion rate and 4 interceptions — all of which came last weekend.
In the 21-14 loss to Cal last Saturday, Thorne was picked off on 3 of Auburn’s final 5 possessions. The Tiger defense limited Cal to just 1 score on its final 9 possessions of the game, but the offense was largely anemic and unable to close the gap.
Thorne put together a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive midway through the fourth. On the 3 possessions before that score and the 2 possessions that followed it, Auburn ran 11 plays, gained 24 yards, and committed 4 turnovers.
Freeze was asked this week if he had thought about giving Brown a start prior to SEC play and he responded by saying he “wake(s) up thinking about it and go(es) to bed thinking about it.” He said he has chosen to believe in Thorne and there are plays that weren’t all his fault, but there were also plays he needed to get right and didn’t.
The leash, Freeze said is “very, very short” heading into Week 3.
“It’s really hard for me to not play a young man that consistently is the best performer in practice over and over and over and over again,” Freeze said during a press conference this week. “Throughout camp and throughout the practice weeks and everything, (Thorne’s) performance and his understanding of what we want to do has been better than the others. If you do (make a change), you kind of send the message that practice really doesn’t matter.
“Having said that, you have to carry that over into the games. You have to. … I assure you, we’re prepared. If that continues, we have to go another direction.”
Brown is a 6-foot-4 passer from Nashville. He joined the program prior to the 2023 season. He completed 7 of his 9 passes against Maryland in last year’s bowl game for 132 yards. Against Alabama A&M in the opener, he threw for 96 yards and 2 touchdowns on 3-of-5 passing.
The Tigers (1-1) host the Lobos (0-2) for a 7:30 p.m. ET kick on ESPN2. Auburn is a 27-point favorite in the game at ESPN Bet. Arkansas comes to town to begin SEC play on Sept. 21.
Is this a bit too soon?
Week 3 feels a bit too soon, but he did throw 4 INTs last week. I would think the Auburn fans would feel its overdue.
Bold decision to bench your starter (despite the poor game) for a RS Freshman who has thrown less than 15 passes and just barely cracked the top 1,500 in the recruiting rankings coming out of HS.
“Bold decision to bench your starter (despite the poor game) ”
It would be bold if the game was against Oklahoma or UGA.
“Is this a bit too soon?”
Nah, keep playing the QB throws INTs.
Thorne actually threw 6 int’s last Saturday. 2 of them were called back because of penalties. No it’s not too soon.
Not when you consider his performance from last year, at least to me. This is now pretty much professional football; they are getting paid. They are now going to find out what it is like for everyone else that has a job and does not perform up to standards and expectations.
Thorne is in his 6th year as a college QB. If he’s still throwing multiple INT’s per game….yeah. I gave him the benefit of the doubt seeing as how Freeze brought in good receivers. Watching Thorne throw INT’s directly to Cal’s defense made me cringe. Three defenders on one receiver and he throws the ball directly to one of three defenders.
I agree with you. He has plenty of college experience and a year under Freeze. Throwing 4 INTS, with 4 of them counting shows he is what he has been his entire career. Freeze got some weapons. He can’t afford to see them wasted or they will transfer.
“He can’t afford to see them wasted or they will transfer.”
Exactly!
Saban benched Milroe last year and look how that turned out. It is the right move simply because Thorne has zero swagger. I don’t like bama, clearly, but you can’t argue with what Saban did last year and that was with a stud if a QB.
yeah this is the right move, today. The opponent wont be to challenging which should allow him to settle in and gain some confidence. I mean 6 INT’s is crazy bad. You just cant keep going to that well. Its poisoned. I know there were articles written about it but I dont recall what kept freeze from bringing in a better NIL transfer? This seems very un-freeze like.
Throwing 4 INTs to a below average former Pac-12 team is really bad. SEC defenses are very very tough.
At least they have a game that is pretty much a gimme to give Brown a chance to settle in, though doing well in this game is going to prove about as much as Thorne doing well against Alabama A&M.
I would say Thorne has been given an ample opportunity to show he deserves to be the main starter at qb and the results have been a disaster. If you aren’t getting better change has to happen. AU could be staring at 4 straight years of having a losing record. Thorne will not be here next year so now appears to be a good time. I support the coach in this movie.
Hahaha that should be move and not movie. We have already seen enough bad movies in the last few when it comes to AU football.
Absolutely, I’m ready for this movie to pick up again.
Btw – I for one think he is gonna kill it! We shall see.
I am eager to see how this goes. Maybe more so against SEC opposition. But tomorrow should be an OK preview, I suppose.
Thorne is far from my top choice but I just hope Hank is the better alternative. I’m skeptical about him having the reps needed. I get flashbacks from when Jeremy Johnson took over and cringe a bit.
We shall see.