Auburn’s decision at quarterback could define season…
Following a 24-14 loss to Arkansas on Saturday, the Auburn Tigers find themselves with a quarterback controversy.
Payton Thorne entered the year as the Tiger’s starting signal-caller before being benched following a four-interception game against California.
Auburn then turned to redshirt freshman Hank Brown. Brown led the Tigers to victory against New Mexico, tossing four touchdowns in their 45-19 win. This would not be the case in Brown’s first start in an SEC game as he struggled to take care of the ball, throwing three interceptions in a half of play.
Down 7-0, head coach Hugh Freeze opted to roll out Thorne in the second half to try and give the Tigers a spark. Thorne had a solid outing, throwing for 213 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, though it ultimately came in a losing effort.
Which quarterback will get the start this week against No. 21 Oklahoma is still up in the air, with Freeze stating in a Monday morning press conference, “It’s going to be a battle this week…to figure out who can master the plan against all these fronts that were gonna face at Oklahoma.”
Whoever Freeze selects could serve as an indicator of how this season will play out. The Tigers are in a unique situation. Currently sitting at 2-2 (0-1), a berth in the College Football Playoff is a longshot, the season, however, is not a complete wash. Oklahoma is the first of three straight ranked opponents the Tigers will face.
If Freeze gives Brown the starting nod, it would signify that the Tigers are focused on working with their young quarterback to develop him and build a foundation for the future of the program. Freeze noted that he thought Brown looked impressive at times but also highlighted some of his miscues.
“You watch the first drive and you believe…Hank is making the right decisions until we get to the 25-yard line and then we got a check-down wide open and he makes that decision and then made two other poor ones but looked really, really sharp at times,” Freeze said.
Brown’s inexperience may put the Tigers behind the eight ball in most matchups, but there is optimism that getting him reps early will mold him into a quality gunslinger and benefit Auburn down the line.
Going the Thorne route would indicate being competitive is Auburn’s primary goal. Despite his rocky play over his last two seasons, Thorne’s experience gives him an edge over Brown if the Tigers want to win now. Having been Auburn’s starter last season, Thorne knows what to expect out of SEC competition. The ceiling may be low, but he is the safer option to plug into the offense if Auburn wants to get into the win column.
Auburn has other quarterback options such as redshirt sophomore Holden Geriner and freshman Walker White. Both were rated as four-star recruits by 247 Sports and could potentially see action as well. In the unpredictable world of college football what path the Tigers go down for the 2024 season will be worth keeping an eye on.
