Analyzing the Impact of Payton Thorne's Commitment to Auburn

What does Thorne's arrival mean for the rest of 2023 (and beyond)?

Another win for Hugh Freeze in the transfer portal this weekend, as Auburn secured the quarterback position for the 2023 season with Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne. Plenty of hot takes have been floated around, with the most popular being the betting odds for Auburn's win total being over 6.5 this year (per Fanduel) or that the Tigers have a better QB room than Bama. 

For now, the commitment means that Auburn has turned the heat up on the quarterback competition, but the implications go beyond just the 2023 season. Here's what Thorne's arrival means for Auburn in the summer, fall and beyond. 

1. A Wideout should follow Payton to Auburn

© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

There's no question that Auburn has a need at the position with the departure of Landen King to the transfer portal, and while the likes of Koy Moore and Rivaldo Fairweather make a fine group to throw to, Auburn could use a deep-threat guy to take the lid off of defenses. Keon Coleman (Thorne's top target at MSU) recently visited Auburn and Montana Lemonious-Craig likes what he see's from the Plains. Having a QB that completed 62% of his passes last season will help make Auburn more attractive to wideouts, and one of these guys could commit soon. 

2. Auburn is now a Spoiler in the West.

Todd Van Emst/Auburn Tigers

As history shows, Hugh Freeze's offense averages 400 passing yards per game after two years of implementing his scheme. The first two years? Somewhere around 250, which would be a welcome upgrade from the 188 yards per game under the Harsin/Williams era. I fully expect Robby Ashford to be involved with the game plan, but Thorne averaged 240 passing ypg at State, which should speed up the Freeze/Montgomery scheme implementation. If the team can get to the average of 250 next season, than Auburn jumps from 14th in the SEC to 7th in the conference and 4th in the West. Couple that with a three-headed monster at running back in Hunter/Alston/Battie, Auburn could surprise some teams this season and could even be 9-2 headed into the Iron Bowl at home.

For what it's worth, Freeze has won 10 games every time he lands a transfer QB (Kelly in 2015, Willis in 2020).  

3. QB(A)U?

Eric Starling/Auburn Daily

Perhaps the commitment of Payton Thorne signals something bigger than a season win total. Is a new era of quarterback play about to begin on the Plains? Between Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery, they've put the likes of Case Keenum, Robert Griffin III, Chad Kelly and Malik Willis in the NFL, and Shae Patterson was looking like the next Eli Manning under Freeze at Ole Miss before he was dismissed. We've heard positive things about Holden Geriner taking the next steps at QB, Robby Ashford has a skill set that can be honed into a top threat in the conference, and the future at the position is secured beyond Thorne with four/five-star quarterback commit Walker White coming to the Plains. When elite signal callers commit, so do elite pass-catchers, and lineman and, well, you know the rest. 

Build it and they will come, right?  

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