On my mind: What to make of the likely union of Payton Thorne and Auburn

AUBURN — All signs point towards Michigan State transfer quarterback Payton Thorne being Auburn’s coveted transfer portal quarterback heading into the first fall under Hugh Freeze.

Based on speaking with multiple sources, Thorne not ending up at Auburn would be “very surprising, as noted on The Corner message board on Wednesday evening. It appears the union between Thorne and Auburn is as close to official as it can be short of Thorne publicly announcing and subsequently enrolling at the university.

Days after news broke of Thorne’s intentions to enter the transfer portal, Thorne publicly confirmed his intentions to leave Michigan State on Thursday morning in a social media post thanking Spartans’ fans and acknowledging he’s headed elsewhere.

“Life can change quick,” he said, “and my days at Michigan State have come to a close. I leave this place knowing I have given it everything I got.”

Let’s dive into some thoughts around the situation:

— Here’s what Freeze said after Auburn’s A-Day game: “I think we can win games with (current QBs). But should a guy that comes available that’s a dynamic guy that we think is a proven guy at doing that, I think we would have to at least look at that.”

— First, here’s a little bit about Thorne. Thorne’s 49 touchdown passes are fourth-most in MSU history, his 6,494 passing yards are sixth-all-time, his 60.9% completion percentage is fifth-best, and his 524 completions rank sixth. In 26 starts, including all 25 games the past two seasons, the 6-foot-2, 205-pound product of Naperville, Illinois is 16-10. In leading the Spartans to an 11-2 season and Peach Bowl victory over Pitt in 2021, Thorne broke Kirk Cousins’ MSU single-season touchdown record to finished with 27 TD passes and 3,233 passing yards, which is the third highest single-season total in school history.

— Michigan State coach Mel Tucker announced in March the spring would bring an open quarterback battle between Payton Thorne, Noah Kim and Katin Houser. This came after Thorne’s numbers faltered a bit after an outstanding 2021 season. Exiting the spring, Thorne remained as QB1 according to most observers and media reports. That’s important to note. Thorne’s transfer wasn’t due to losing out on a starting position, but rather seemingly wanting to explore new opportunities. And it’s important to note from the Auburn side simply that Freeze is apparently landing a quarterback who was poised to be a three-year starter at Michigan State. Lastly, I think it’s worth noting because after being a two-year starter, Thorne was facing the pressure of having to fight for his starting position all over again. He seemingly won that fight, showing continued resolve and competitiveness.

— Nebraska transfer quarterback Casey Thompson visited Auburn on April 30. And while Auburn and Freeze were interested in Thompson, they more interested in Thorne, according to sources. It made sense that Thompson visited first, despite Thorne being the more coveted portal quarterback of the two. Thompson was available to visit right away, whereas Thorne was entering his final week of school. And even if both were readily available to visit, it kind of makes sense to host Thompson first. See if there’s anything you’re missing with Thompson, make sure he knows you’re interested, keep him on the line, and then after the visit if Thorne is still atop the board, then host Thorne and close the deal.

— Thorne will be a graduate transfer. Michigan State’s spring commencement ceremonies started on Thursday, May 4, with Thorne expected to graduate with a degree in communications on Friday, May 5. Thorne is expected to be in Auburn following the completion of his academic requirements.

— When might Thorne arrive on campus? Auburn has summer sessions that start on May 17 and June 28. It’s unclear if Thorne would enroll for summer classes or simply enroll starting in the fall. Either way, expect Thorne to be on campus immediately. After missing the spring, the expectations will be high and Thorne will have a short time to master the offense and be ready for the season in less than four months.

— In the end, Thorne makes as much as sense as anyone. He’s a fairly accurate quarterback with multiple years of Power Five starting experience. He has enough athletic ability to make the RPO game effective, and he’s got two years of eligibility remaining. There’s a lot to like about Thorne and his potential under Freeze and Philip Montgomery.

— As far as recruiting portal quarterbacks, Auburn initially wanted Grayson McCall, but McCall’s degree at Coastal Carolina didn’t transfer over, thus not making him a viable transfer candidate. It appears by the time Auburn turned their attention to Devin Leary, Kentucky was ahead of the Tigers in line. That’s no fault of Auburn’s really. There was interest in Spencer Sanders, but Auburn ultimately decided against the idea and didn’t bring Sanders in on a visit. There were portal quarterbacks that Auburn kept a close eye on in case they entered the portal. Some of those didn’t enter the portal, but some did, and Thorne was one of them.

— What could Auburn’s quarterback situation look like entering next spring and summer if Payton Thorne comes on board? Entering next spring, if nobody leaves, it’ll be Thorne, rising redshirt sophomore Holden Geriner, rising redshirt junior Robby Ashford, redshirt freshman Hank Brown and true freshman Walker White. That’s a crowded room all of a sudden. Geriner could have some decisions to make after two seasons at Auburn. Ashford too, potentially, as he’s scheduled to graduate in June of 2024 and could be a graduate transfer, allowing him to transfer a second time after coming to Auburn from Oregon.

— Is Auburn close to competing for a SEC title with Thorne? If Freeze and Co. can develop the high school talent they just signed, and sign a stellar class next fall/winter, and sign a stellar transfer portal class next winter/spring, then I think the answer is yes, but probably not in 2023. Thorne appears capable of running this offense, making championship-level plays, and Auburn could be a dark horse SEC title contender in Freeze’s second season. There’s some things that would have to fall into place, but I see a path to making that happen.

— Remember how often Freeze talked this spring about wanting a quarterback that has the ability to galvanize a team? A quarterback the rest of the team will follow into the fire? At times, Freeze talked as much about intangibles as he did talent on the field. Here’s what Freeze said in March: “The offseason will play a role, leadership, and how the players are responding and rallying round you. That’s the most important position that we have.” Well, Payton Thorne was a team captain for Michigan State in 2021 and 2022. That certainly sounds like a player that possesses the attributes Freeze is looking for in that regard.

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