AUBURN | The competition will be on with the start of spring practice Feb. 27 after mixed returns from the quarterback position last season.
The entire enterprise has been reworked for year two under Hugh Freeze, who will take on a bigger role with the offense. Derrick Nix was hired as offensive coordinator and Kent Austin has been elevated to quarterbacks coach.
Here’s a look at a potential depth chart for 2024…
QB: Sr. Payton Thorne -OR- RFr. Hank Brown, So. Holden Geriner -OR- TFr. Walker White
Breaking it down…
QUARTERBACK
Thorne won the starting job last season after transferring from Michigan State. He completed 60.9 percent of his passes for 1,755 yards with 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 515 yards and three touchdowns on 134 carries. His 129.1 passer rating ranked 12th in the SEC. He struggled in the Music City Bowl completing just 13 of 27 passes for 84 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Geriner replaced him and completed just 1 of 6 passes before Hank Brown took over. The true freshman finished the game completing 7 of 9 passes for 132 yards. After the game, Freeze said the competition would be open in the spring with Brown having an opportunity to unseat Thorne. Geriner will also be in the mix while 2024 signee Walker White, an early enrollee, will try to move up the depth chart in his first college practices.
This is a position that will be under a lot of scrutiny during the offseason and going into the fall. Auburn elected not to sign a quarterback out of the portal last month but could certainly pursue one in the spring period (April 15-30) if Freeze is not satisfied with the results this spring. Freeze and his staff have taken steps to improve some important areas around the quarterback including left tackle and wide receiver.
The A-Day game is April 6.
MORE SPRING PREVIEWS
