How does Auburn’s quarterback position appear for the upcoming 2024 season in light of Brad Crawford’s projection?

Many Auburn supporters advocated for Hugh Freeze to acquire a quarterback from the transfer portal, but he chose to stick with the current roster.

Unfortunately, Auburn saw quarterback Robby Ashford depart for South Carolina via the portal, leaving the Tigers with Payton Thorne, Holden Geriner, Hank Brown, and Walker White as potential starters for the 2024 season unless Freeze opts to bring in another quarterback during the next portal window.

According to Brad Crawford of 247Sports, who predicted the starting quarterbacks for each SEC school next season, Thorne is projected to start for Auburn.

Thorne ranks 14th among SEC quarterbacks projected to start, based on FanDuel Sportsbook’s Heisman odds. He is only ahead of Blake Shapen from Mississippi State and Diego Pavis from Vanderbilt, who defeated Auburn last year while playing for New Mexico State.

Crawford offered his insights on Thorne in the article, stating, “Will Hugh Freeze’s decision to replace offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery after just one season benefit Payton Thorne in 2024?

That’s the hope, especially after Auburn’s passing game struggled to make an impact last season. Part of the issue stemmed from personnel problems in the playmaker positions, and Thorne’s confidence suffered as a result.

With 6.6 yards per attempt, Thorne recorded his lowest figure yet, tying with former Vanderbilt quarterback Ken Seals at the bottom of the SEC. The offense struggled to produce significant plays and third-down conversions.”