2023 3* Mich St. Transfer QB Payton Thorne commits to AU!

[TeamZero77 1,784]

11 hours ago, Tigerpro2a said:

Here are my thoughts on skimming 2-3 of MSUs games tonight.  This is my opinion of his play from my amateur, untrained eye!

Good arm- Not a world beater arm but strong enough to make all the throws required.  He has a good quick release. He can manipulate his throwing angle when needed as well.

He is fairly mobile as well. He is not Nick Marshall or even Bo Nix in that regard, but he is quick and agile enough to extend plays and make the defense pay a couple times a game if they lose contain.

Seems to go through progressions well. Also has a quick trigger when he identifies his man. 

He seems like a good leader and locker room guy from what I have read and seen. 

If I was going to knock him on what I have seen it would be 3 things. He can tend to float backwards and get a little happy feet  in the pocket.  (at least he doesn't bail left or right everytime and he also keeps his eyes downfield)

Another thing is he needs to be more consistent with his touch on shorter routes. I.E Bubbles, shallow crossers, etc. Saw him bounce a few bullets off WRs pads....of course...I am of the belief that if it hits you in the hands or numbers you should catch it lol. 

Last he just needs to minimize some of his throws that are forced. In the Washington game, he had a few that he tried to force and it nearly, and sometimes did, cost them. They were down by 20+ so I get trying to make something happen, but got to be more careful.

All in all, I think he just what we need right now. He fits a lot of what I believe HCBHF is looking for in a QB. I think with some good coaching from HF, PM and Co., he can be a dependable QB for us and an instant upgrade for us this year. I would say he intstantly adds 1.5 wins to our schedule compared to what we had this year. Now, the thing I really love is that if he stays for year 2 I think he can be coached into a very good QB. Sorry for the length guys and gals. Just wanted to share my thoughts. War Eagle!

 

What former Auburn QB does his play closest resemble, in your opinion? Before he committed to us, I was reading some Michigan State fan boards and the one's that mentioned this all said he is closest to Jarrett Stidham, both his arm and his legs. 

My takeaway is that he is definitely an upgrade. We swapped TJ for Thorne. In my opinion, Freeze couldn't ask for a much better situation because he got a QB with 2 years starting experience in the BIG10 and a 2 time Team Captain. He has 2 years of eligibility left so assuming he starts this season and next, that's 4 years as a starting QB in the B10 and SEC. Also, Walker White can sit behind him next season as a true freshman and that's exactly what a coach likes is your star QB recruit sitting and learning from a QB in his 4th year as a starter against top competition. We also have Geriner and we have Robby who has really good wheels, is a fierce competitor and has a year of being a starting QB in the SEC. I know it was a bad year but he still has experience as a starter in the SEC and that's alot better than many teams have for backups. (I also know that we'll have transfers and grad transfers most years like everyone does now) 

Up until thursday, I was kinda questioning Freeze's direction with the QB room. As of TJ leaving and Thorne committing yesterday, I think ol' Hugh had a plan all along. 

[bigbird 60,529]

5 hours ago, TeamZero77 said:

What former Auburn QB does his play closest resemble, in your opinion? Before he committed to us, I was reading some Michigan State fan boards and the one's that mentioned this all said he is closest to Jarrett Stidham, both his arm and his legs. 

My takeaway is that he is definitely an upgrade. We swapped TJ for Thorne. In my opinion, Freeze couldn't ask for a much better situation because he got a QB with 2 years starting experience in the BIG10 and a 2 time Team Captain. He has 2 years of eligibility left so assuming he starts this season and next, that's 4 years as a starting QB in the B10 and SEC. Also, Walker White can sit behind him next season as a true freshman and that's exactly what a coach likes is your star QB recruit sitting and learning from a QB in his 4th year as a starter against top competition. We also have Geriner and we have Robby who has really good wheels, is a fierce competitor and has a year of being a starting QB in the SEC. I know it was a bad year but he still has experience as a starter in the SEC and that's alot better than many teams have for backups. (I also know that we'll have transfers and grad transfers most years like everyone does now) 

Up until thursday, I was kinda questioning Freeze's direction with the QB room. As of TJ leaving and Thorne committing yesterday, I think ol' Hugh had a plan all along. 

Very similar to Nix. A better arm but not as much wiggle when he runs, JMO

[au701948 998]

5 hours ago, TeamZero77 said:

What former Auburn QB does his play closest resemble, in your opinion? Before he committed to us, I was reading some Michigan State fan boards and the one's that mentioned this all said he is closest to Jarrett Stidham, both his arm and his legs. 

My takeaway is that he is definitely an upgrade. We swapped TJ for Thorne. In my opinion, Freeze couldn't ask for a much better situation because he got a QB with 2 years starting experience in the BIG10 and a 2 time Team Captain. He has 2 years of eligibility left so assuming he starts this season and next, that's 4 years as a starting QB in the B10 and SEC. Also, Walker White can sit behind him next season as a true freshman and that's exactly what a coach likes is your star QB recruit sitting and learning from a QB in his 4th year as a starter against top competition. We also have Geriner and we have Robby who has really good wheels, is a fierce competitor and has a year of being a starting QB in the SEC. I know it was a bad year but he still has experience as a starter in the SEC and that's alot better than many teams have for backups. (I also know that we'll have transfers and grad transfers most years like everyone does now) 

Up until thursday, I was kinda questioning Freeze's direction with the QB room. As of TJ leaving and Thorne committing yesterday, I think ol' Hugh had a plan all along. 

I knew CHF had a plan all along. I’m thrilled that he was able to get his needed QB to put us back where we have a somewhat normal QB Room going forward.

[homersapien 11,373]

Looks like a good get to me.  Hugh strikes again.

 

 

Edited May 7, 2023 by homersapien

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

6 hours ago, TeamZero77 said:

What former Auburn QB does his play closest resemble, in your opinion? Before he committed to us, I was reading some Michigan State fan boards and the one's that mentioned this all said he is closest to Jarrett Stidham, both his arm and his legs. 

My takeaway is that he is definitely an upgrade. We swapped TJ for Thorne. In my opinion, Freeze couldn't ask for a much better situation because he got a QB with 2 years starting experience in the BIG10 and a 2 time Team Captain. He has 2 years of eligibility left so assuming he starts this season and next, that's 4 years as a starting QB in the B10 and SEC. Also, Walker White can sit behind him next season as a true freshman and that's exactly what a coach likes is your star QB recruit sitting and learning from a QB in his 4th year as a starter against top competition. We also have Geriner and we have Robby who has really good wheels, is a fierce competitor and has a year of being a starting QB in the SEC. I know it was a bad year but he still has experience as a starter in the SEC and that's alot better than many teams have for backups. (I also know that we'll have transfers and grad transfers most years like everyone does now) 

Up until thursday, I was kinda questioning Freeze's direction with the QB room. As of TJ leaving and Thorne committing yesterday, I think ol' Hugh had a plan all along. 

I think if we are only looking for an AU comparison then JS is a decent comparison. I would almost say his play reminds me more of Sean White with a stronger arm. I'll tell you a player that came to mind as well that is not an AU player is former Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly.

[homersapien 11,373]

19 hours ago, TeamZero77 said:

We also have Geriner and we have Robby who has really good wheels, is a fierce competitor and has a year of being a starting QB in the SEC. I know it was a bad year but he still has experience as a starter in the SEC and that's alot better than many teams have for backups. (I also know that we'll have transfers and grad transfers most years like everyone does now) 

Up until thursday, I was kinda questioning Freeze's direction with the QB room. As of TJ leaving and Thorne committing yesterday, I think ol' Hugh had a plan all along. 

And don't forget, Robbie was hurt most - if not all - of last year.

[yngwie1995 2,229]

13 hours ago, Tigerpro2a said:

I think if we are only looking for an AU comparison then JS is a decent comparison. I would almost say his play reminds me more of Sean White with a stronger arm. I'll tell you a player that came to mind as well that is not an AU player is former Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly.

Yes, please!

[toddc 13,194]

The highs and lows of Payton Thorne's Michigan State career

The graduate transfer brings 49 career touchdown passes to Auburn's QB competition

Nathan KingMay 7th, 8:00 AM

Auburn's new transfer quarterback certainly isn't without flaw, but his experience and production as a Power Five starter will likely give him an advantage in the race to be the Tigers' starter this season.

Payton Thorne is arguably the biggest roster addition in Hugh Freeze's tenure thus far, adding 25 starts at Michigan State and 49 career touchdown passes to Auburn's QB room — exactly seven times what the position group had before his transfer commitment. The graduate senior — who has two years of eligibility remaining at Auburn — was one of the Big Ten's most efficient quarterbacks during Michigan State's 11-win season in 2021, breaking Kirk Cousins' program record for passing touchdowns in a season with 27. He took a bit of a step back last year, as the Spartans went 5-7, and comes to Auburn as a career 61 percent passer, with 6,493 yards to his name.

While Auburn fans will be looking to dissect Thorne's skill set all offseason, let's start with a look at some of his best and worst performances as a Spartan, including a number of clutch moments and highly efficient outings, along with some of his less effective games in the Big Ten.

High: 2021 Peach Bowl vs. Pitt

Stats: 29-50, 354 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT

Looking to cap a spectacular Year 2 under Mel Tucker, in which Michigan State had already won 10 games, the Spartans trailed No. 13 Pitt 21-10 entering the fourth quarter of the Peach Bowl. Thorne then led back-to-back touchdown drives over the final eight minutes, and Michigan State got a pick-six late to pad the lead on a 31-21 comeback victory. Thorne completed 14-of-19 passes in the fourth quarter for 133 yards in arguably the most clutch performance of his career. Michigan State star running back Kenneth Walker also opted out of the bowl game, so Thorne had little support from his running game, with a season-low 56 yards. Thorne ended the day with a career-high 354 passing yards.

Low: 2022 vs. Minnesota

Stats: 17-24, 132 yards, 2 INTs

Arguably the lowest point of Thorne’s career, he was benched late in a 34-7 home loss in Week 4 after two picks and a fumble. With the Spartans only mustering 38 rushing yards in the game, Thorne and the offense’s first eight drives featured four punts, three turnovers and a turnover on downs, before backup QB Noah Kim threw a touchdown pass with 17 seconds left to avoid the shutout. Thorne kept his starting job and threw for 221 yards the following week at Maryland, but the embarrassing home defeat was part of a four-game losing streak that spotted the Spartans a 2-4 start to the 2022 season.

High: 2021 vs. Penn State

Stats: 19-30, 268 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT

In a snowy, picturesque Spartan Stadium, Thorne braved the elements and came alive late to put away the Nittany Lions and secure a 10-win campaign for Michigan State in the regular-season finale. In addition to 39 yards and a rushing score, Thorne put the Spartans on top 23-20 late in the third quarter to cap a 75-play drive, then essentially put the game on ice with one of the best throws of his career — a back-shoulder, 20-yard touchdown pass to Jaylen Reed on fourth-and-15. Thorne’s late heroics offset a pick-six inside his own red zone at the start of the third quarter. After the interception, Thorne went 8-of-11 passing for 88 yards and two scores the rest of the game.

Low: 2022 vs. Ohio State

Stats: 11-18, 113 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT

Thorne was once again benched after Ohio State went up 49-13 in the third quarter, and Kim took the remaining snaps in the game at quarterback. Considering Michigan State's running backs had only 30 yards in the game — and Thorne was sacked four times — there was little hope for the Spartans' offense to keep up with what was then the No. 3 team in the country. After that loss, though, Thorne played out the remainder of the season at quarterback, as Kim didn't make another appearance over the final six games.

High: 2021 at Miami

Stats: 18-31, 261 yards, 4 TDs

Entering the Week 3 matchup as unranked underdogs against the No. 24 Hurricanes, Michigan State’s performance at Miami began to set the tone for a big season. Thorne was making highlight throws all over the field en route to four touchdown passes and a 38-17 win for the Spartans. Thorne and company piled it on with 21 points in the fourth quarter, including a sequence where Thorne picked up 22 yards with his legs on third down, then snuck the ball on fourth-and-1 for a conversion, and threw a 39-yard touchdown pass the very next play.

Low: 2021 at Ohio State

Stats: 14-36, 158 yards, 1 TD

In a season celebrated as one of the best in the program’s recent history, saying the Ohio State game was one to forget is a massive understatement. Michigan State was pulverized 56-7 in what was heralded as the game of the year in the Big Ten between the No. 7 Spartans and No. 4 Buckeyes. Instead, Michigan State’s secondary was completely eviscerated, and Thorne turned in a career-low 38.9 percent completion rate. Walker had only one carry while dealing with an ankle injury, and Thorne struggled to find any consistent space down the field with his receivers. Michigan State punted on nine of its 12 drives and only crossed midfield on three possessions.

High: 2022 vs. Wisconsin

Stats: 21-28, 265 yards, 2 TDs

Thorne was the catalyst for Michigan State snapping that four-game winning streak, as the Spartans won a two-overtime thriller on homecoming, 34-28 over the Badgers on a walk-off touchdown pass by Thorne. Wisconsin fumbled on the first play of the second overtime, then Thorne loaded up on third-and-12 and dropped a gorgeous, back-shoulder pass to Reed for the game-winning score. In one of the most efficient outings of Thorne’s career, the QB only had consecutive incompletions once in the entire game.

Low: 2021 at Indiana

Stats: 14-26, 126 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs

Michigan State won a slugfest on the road, 20-15 to start 7-0 on the year, but Thorne nearly gave the game away with an interception in the end zone with three minutes remaining. Indiana was completely stifled and didn’t even make it past its own 30-yard line on its attempt at a game-winning drive, though. Thorne’s touchdown pass in the third quarter did put the Spartans up 17-9 in a tight game. And for his career, Thorne has never thrown more than two interceptions in a game.

High: 2021 at Rutgers

Stats: 16-27, 339 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INT

With Michigan State hanging a season-high 600 yards of offense, Thorne and the Spartans erased an early deficit and cruised to a 31-13 win on the road. Thorne and receiver Jalen Nailor had a nearly unstoppable connection, as the pair hooked up on touchdown passes of 63, 63 and 65 yards in the first half alone, and Nailor finished with 221 yards on five receptions. The performance yielded Thorne’s highest overall offensive grade (91.2), according to Pro Football Focus, of his career.

[The Freak 2,528]

On 5/6/2023 at 7:36 PM, Tigerpro2a said:

I'll tell you a player that came to mind as well that is not an AU player is former Ole Miss QB Chad Kelly.

I'll take Chad Kelly without Chad Kelly knuckleheadedness any day.

[toddc 13,194]

Freeze: Payton Thorne is most 'proven' transfer QB of his career

"He's won football games in a very good conference, and I think it elevates that room."

6 mins

HOOVER, Alabama — Hugh Freeze got his guy. 

At the biggest position of need in the transfer portal for Freeze’s inaugural Auburn roster, he and his staff snagged arguably the top transfer quarterback of the second portal window last week. Michigan State’s Payton Thorne now enters Tigers’ QB race this season, and could be viewed as the frontrunner to win the job due to his experience level and what he’s accomplished on the Power Five level.

Speaking to a handful of reporters prior to his appearance at the 2023 Regions Pro-Am fundraiser, Freeze said Thorne checks a lot of boxes for Auburn’s new-look offense.

"His leadership, his experience, his toughness, his football IQ,” Freeze said of what he and the staff liked about Thorne. “I just think he's won football games in a very good conference, and I think it elevates that room. I've said it's all about competition and again I want to say: I'm excited about Robby (Ashford). I'm excited about Holden Geriner. I look forward to that competition that's going to make us all better if handled the right way. I think it definitely improved us."

Thorne is obviously the most veteran and proven player in the room now. But aside from the prospect of him winning the starting job, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound Thorne — who has two years of eligibility remaining after graduating from Michigan State last week — serves as a significant boost to the potential of the Tigers’ passing game, seeing as there were only six Power Five teams with a worse combined QBR last season than Auburn.

Across 25 career starts with the Spartans, Thorne has 49 touchdown passes to 24 interceptions, completing 61 percent of his passes. Thorne went 16-9 as Michigan State’s starting QB, helping lead the program to an 11-win season in 2021 — in which Thorne broke Kirk Cousins’ single-season passing touchdown record with 27 scores, and averaged 8.3 yards per attempt, good for the fourth-best mark in the Big Ten. The Spartans went 5-7 last season and Thorne’s numbers dipped: 19 touchdowns, 11 picks and 6.9 yards per attempt.

Freeze and his staff sought out some of the top quarterback names during the first transfer window, and the likes of NC State’s Devin Leary, Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall and Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders all reciprocated some level of interest. For different reasons, though, Auburn didn’t land any of them, and the Tigers exited spring practice still searching for a quality addition to the QB room.

Simply from a numbers perspective, Auburn needed another scholarship quarterback. After T.J. Finley entered the portal as a grad transfer, the Tigers were left with only incumbent starter Robby Ashford, redshirt freshman Holden Geriner and true freshman Hank Brown, who will arrive on campus later this month. 

That group has just seven career touchdown passes — all from Ashford last year. Thorne has exactly seven times that amount in his career. 

“It's an unrealistic expectation if you think you're not going to have four quarterbacks,” Freeze said. “Obviously, with T.J. leaving, we had to get another one. I'm not going to go into the season (with less than four QBs), nor will I next year or the year after. We're going to sign four quarterbacks, and every single year it's going to be a competition. If we can't handle that, then at any position, at any team — I mean, I don't think we're the only team that's taking quarterbacks or receivers or O-line. (The rest of the QBs) have got to grow up.

"I'm not saying Robby — I thought Robby handled it well,” Freeze said. “But I think sometimes the narrative that is created is, 'Oh God, they took somebody else.' Yeah. We're going to do that every year. So is everybody else."

Freeze has a history of succeeding with transfer quarterbacks, dating back to his previous stop in the SEC. His starting QBs for all five of his seasons at Ole Miss were transfers — first Bo Wallace, a JUCO prospect, for three years, then Clemson transfer Chad Kelly. The two averaged 3,266 passing yards per season, with 112 combined touchdown passes to 62 interceptions across five seasons.

Auburn transfer Malik Willis then led Freeze’s offense at Liberty from 2020-21, accounting for 47 touchdowns through the air and 27 more on the ground. Willis became a third-round pick in 2022.

Freeze credited his staff for the success of his transfer quarterbacks in the past — some of whom are still with him at Auburn, like analyst and assistant QB coach Kent Austin, who served as Freeze’s offensive coordinator at Liberty.

"(First-year Auburn offensive coordinator) Philip Montgomery joins that crew,” Freeze said. “I think that I've got some of the best quarterback coaches in the country that are with me. I think I have a pretty good feel of how to get a kid ready and what he can do, and then kind of playing to those strengths. We've had success with that. 

“And now you're getting one that's probably more proven than any I've had before.”

[toddc 13,194]

3 minutes ago, toddc said:

And now you're getting one that's probably more proven than any I've had before.”

 

[TeamZero77 1,784]

From that interview in the article above, Hugh Freeze says that Payton Thorne is the most proven QB he's ever had. Then recently he said Jarquez Hunter is the best RB he's ever had. 

That's what I like to hear!!! WDE

[ellitor 33,093]

38 minutes ago, TeamZero77 said:

Hugh Freeze says that Payton Thorne is the most transfer proven QB he's ever had

FIFY

[TeamZero77 1,784]

8 minutes ago, ellitor said:

FIFY

I didn't realize that Malik Willis had 74 total touchdowns in 2 years under Freeze. 😳 47 td's passing and 27 td's rushing. I knew he did really well at Liberty but wow!! 

[AUINSY 2,228]

8 minutes ago, TeamZero77 said:

I didn't realize that Malik Willis had 74 total touchdowns in 2 years under Freeze. 😳 47 td's passing and 27 td's rushing. I knew he did really well at Liberty but wow!! 

and that was with our sloppy seconds. I know it was against lesser competition, but excited to see what Freeze will do

[toddc 13,194]

Transfer QB Payton Thorne 'didn't wait' to begin offseason work at Auburn

"Man, he didn't wait," Freeze said. "He's already in there watching film on his own and learning stuff. He's anxious to get with the team and start working out."

NATHAN KING13 hrs6

LAGRANGE, Georgia — Michigan State transfer quarterback Payton Thorne has arrived at Auburn and is already beginning training in the Tigers' football facility, Hugh Freeze told reporters Wednesday evening before an Auburn AMBUSH alumni event in LaGrange.

The Tigers' other five post-spring transfer additions are "finishing up" and will be on campus soon.

Freeze said he's already seen Thorne, who graduated from Michigan State earlier this month and has two years of eligibility remaining, in the building and on the practice field a few times.

‌

"Man, he didn't wait," Freeze said. "He's already in there watching film on his own and learning stuff. He's anxious to get with the team and start working out."

A 25-game starter over two seasons in the Big Ten, Thorne was a 61 percent passer with the Spartans and brings 49 career touchdown passes to Auburn — seven times the amount that the Tigers' QB room had previously.

‌

"Leadership, number one," Freeze said of what he liked about Thorne at Michigan State. "I know that everybody — we talk more about his stats or whatever — but I think that this football team at Auburn right now has missed some leadership, particularly on the offensive side. To get that in that room, I think only elevates everybody. The more good leaders you put around them, the more you get them to model that. I feel like he's a mature leader that knows how to prepare. He's obviously played Power Five football in a really good conference.

"... I think that just elevates that room. And he's tough. He stood in there and got beat up pretty good last year. He took it and kept competing."

‌

Robby Ashford started nine games at Auburn last season, while redshirt freshman Holden Gerinerhad a strong spring practice and will also be a contender in the position battle this fall.

Freeze has also brought in three offensive pieces thus far in the second transfer portal window to support Thorne: offensive lineman Jaden Muskrat (Tulsa), and wide receivers Jyaire Shorter (North Texas) and Caleb Burton (Ohio State).

Thorne is the headliner of an Auburn transfer class that's now up to 18 pickups and is rated No. 3 nationally by 247Sports.

[abw0004 10,113]

Got a new truck. 
 

 

[gr82be 14,425]

16 hours ago, abw0004 said:

Got a new truck. 
 

 

He definitely seems at home here in the South. Beautiful Trail Boss.

Have an idea for his tag...

TRLBAUS

[LPTiger 5,164]

58 minutes ago, gr82be said:

He definitely seems at home here in the South. Beautiful Trail Boss.

Have an idea for his tag...

TRLBAUS

Given Jarquez' situation let's just make sure it isn't TAILBOSS. 

[toddc 13,194]

This is a great read and really helps you get to know this guy a little bit better.

Payton Thorne goes in-depth on choosing Auburn, high expectations, building team chemistry and more

Justin Hokanson

Former Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne entered the transfer portal on April 30 and committed to Auburn on May 5. (Photo by Getty Images). 

AUBURN — Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne joined the Auburn collective’s On To Victory podcast on Monday morning to chat about his journey to the Plains, expectations and much more. The show is hosted by former Auburn quarterback Jason Campbell and this specific podcast was co-hosted by Auburn Live’s Justin Hokanson.

Thorne committed to Auburn football on May 5 after entering the transfer portal on April 30. He’s been on campus for “around three weeks,” he said, getting acclimated to the area and meeting his teammates. 

“It’s been great,” Thorne said. “A number of things happened over the last month that brought me to Auburn. Some things, or a lot of things that are out there about why I came here are not accurate. The main reason I came here was Coach (Hugh) Freeze and Coach (Philip) Montgomery, and seeing what they’ve done with quarterbacks and seeing the offense they run. That really attracted me to this place. 

“And everything I’ve heard about the university, the football program and the fan base, it’s awesome. On my visit, I checked out the new facility and met more people, it was great. I left this place knowing this was the place for me and it was best for me and my future.”

LIMITED TIME OFFER: JOIN AUBURN LIVE FOR $1 AND GET THREE MONTHS OF ACCESS, OR PAY $49.99 AND GET ONE FULL YEAR

After four seasons at Michigan State, a place where Payton Thorne thought his career would begin and end, the transition to Auburn seems to be one Thorne is taking in stride.

“If you would have asked me five days before I entered the portal if I was transferring, I would have asked you what you were talking about,” Thorne said. “I never really, it was a series of events that brought me to enter the portal and it all happened really quick. I came to Michigan State, coach (Mark) Dantonio recruited me and I wasn’t a super highly recruited guy — I didn’t have a ton of hype around me coming in. The comparison Coach Dantonio and his staff made was Kirk Cousins. 

“For me, that was a high honor to be compared to him. I came in with the goal of doing what he did. I looked at his records the first day I got there and wanted to break those. That was a big thing for me. That was one of the hard things to leave Michigan State, but ultimately, the pros and cons, it wasn’t close. That’s what brought me to Auburn. I enjoyed my time at Michigan State. There’s a lot of great teammates and a lot of great relationships, but I’m looking forward to this new chapter here. I’m extremely excited to be here. I’m not looking back. I made this decision and it’s all Auburn now. I love it.”

Thorne’s former head coach, Dantonio, cut his teeth on the defensive side of the football before becoming a head coach. Freeze, as we know, created his path to head coaching on the offensive side. Thorne knows things will be different.

“It’s definitely going to be different. It’ll be fun playing for an offensive head coach,” Thorne said. “Having multiple coaches that I can work with. Coach Freeze has had a lot of success offensively, Coach Montgomery’s success speaks for itself. Coach Kent Austin is involved with the quarterbacks, and Coach (Jesse) Stone, too. That’s four guys I can learn from and can always pop in and watch film with, or go over offensive schemes, stuff like that. 

“That was a big reason why I decided this was the move for me. I don’t have a complete feel yet what it’s like playing for an offensive coach yet because we haven’t put in any practice situations for me, but talking with Coach Freeze — I know it’s going to be different and going to be fun playing for an offensive head coach.”

Having said all that, expectations will be very high for Thorne given two things: Auburn’s struggles the past two years to win football games, and specifically Auburn’s struggles in 2022 to produce consistent and winning quarterback play. Fans, mostly, will view Thorne as the “fix,” fairly or unfairly. 

And while Thorne stays off social media for the most part, only taking part in Instagram to build his “brand” and help create NIL opportunities, Thorne seems well aware of what he’s stepping into at Auburn.

“The first thing that comes to mind is pressure is a privilege,” Thorne said. “That’s a good thing. I point toward God. The things that happened to get me to this point, I don’t believe in coincidences. I feel like there’s a reason that I’m here. There’s a reason that somehow the events that happened brought me to this point. In terms of the pressure, I don’t see much of it, I don’t see what the fans are saying. I bump into some people here and they’ve said certain things, but I’ve played in the Big Ten. People always say ‘It just means more,’ and I definitely have felt that out here so far, and I love it. I’ve always wanted to live in the south and getting to live down here is awesome. 

“I’m minimal with my social media, so I don’t hear a ton of it, but I have high expectations for myself, too. I hold myself to a high standard and I’m coming in here to work hard and do what I can to put myself in a good situation to help this team win games. I have a process that’s set forward that will give me the chance to do that. I’ve surrounded myself in my life with a lot of great people and coming here, I’m surrounded with great people. I’m praying and working. It all comes down to what you put forward, that’s what you’re going to get out of it.”

Meeting new teammates, critical summer ahead

Payton Thorne will be working behind a rebuilt offensive line and throwing to a rebuilt receiving corps starting this summer. Transfers Gunner Britton, Dillon Wade and Avery Jones are all expected starters on the offensive line, with transfer Jaden Muskrat maybe pushing for a starting role as well. At receiver, transfers Jyaire Shorter, Shane Hooks, Nick Mardner and Caleb Burton are coming in hoping to help bolster the Tigers’ ability to score points.

And all those newcomers are in addition to returning players fighting for snaps and their place on this team. To Thorne, they’re all brand-new teammates, and a group that has to come together quickly.

“It’s been great meeting those guys and getting to know them,” Thorne said. “I got to meet Gunner right away, we went out to eat a couple of times. That’s been great meeting some of the guys that have been here. Talking with D-Wade, meeting Avery, it’s been great. The receivers, it’s been good, too. They’ve been filtering in. We’re getting started rolling with that. Meeting the receivers that have been here — meeting those guys and throwing, getting the timing down, really just working out with them and seeing how they work, it’s been great so far. We’ve been in the film room a little bit, so we’ll get more of that going as time goes on and attacking this summer with those guys.”

Thorne knows good and well how important June and July will be to build chemistry with his new offensive teammates before fall camp starts at the beginning of August.

“It’s extremely important. Every single day, we have to be taking advantage. Whether that’s throwing, which is most days, but it’s watching film. It’s extremely important to take the film examples and apply it to the field,” Thorne said. 

“Honestly, the summer is huge because you can work without structure, which is great actually. You can go run routes and say, ‘OK, if this coverage is being played this way or the corner is playing with this leverage, this is how we have to run this route,’ You work on those things and that’s not something you get to do during practice. Practice is so high tempo — you don’t get as detailed as work. When you’re there by yourself, you could be out there for three hours if you really want to. That’s rare that you are out there for that long, but sometimes you’re just sitting out there and talking through stuff. It’s not always completely structured, which is great.”

Meshing with an established QB room

After four years of college football, Payton Thorne immediately enters the Auburn quarterback room as the veteran, joining three-year player Robby Ashford and true sophomore Holden Geriner. True freshman Hank Brown will join the room this summer, too. While Thorne arrives at Auburn with the purpose of starting, Ashford and Geriner certainly have similar ideas.

“We’re all working for the same thing. We’re all working to play and to win,” Thorne said. “Coming in, not being that guy who is tryin to do too much. I was a quarterback who had a transfer come in two years ago, so I’ve been on the other side of it where I can see what it’s like. I’ve drawn from that experience. I’ve learned some do’s and don’ts, so I’m doing my best to apply that to the situation I’m in right now.”

What’s Payton Thorne’s mindset with two years of eligibility left?

Because of Covid, using his redshirt season and already graduating, Payton Thorne is a unique case in college football. He’s played four years in college and graduated from Michigan State this spring, yet still has two years of eligibility remaining. While Freeze would love to start his coaching tenure off at Auburn with a two-year starting quarterback, Thorne is taking things one day at a time for now.

“I’m not thinking about the postseason or anything like that. My focus is getting this offense down, mastering the offense, knowing every single little detail of it like I did with my past offense so I can be as effective as I can, and getting to know my teammates. That’s going to take care of itself when it gets here. I’m not making any decisions anytime soon on anything like that,” Thorne said

“The last two years, if I had a good year, I could have left type thing, so I’ve been draft eligible the last two years. It’s the same mindset I’ve had. I’m not too concerned with that. That’ll take care of itself. The work I put forth now is going to put me in position to have that decision. That’s my goal is to have a decision to make, and then ultimately that would mean we won a lot of games and that I did my job for our team and played well. That’s my focus right now. I’m focused on getting as good as I can be with the gifts God gave me, and helping my teammates be the best that they can be. All that stuff will sort itself out when the time comes.”