Hugh Freeze 'cautiously optimistic' about Auburn's QB battle that could spill into regular season

When Hugh Freeze took over at Auburn, one of his primary tasks was shoring up the quarterback position, which was abysmal in coach Bryan Harsin‘s second season in 2022.

The position was bad enough to get Harsin fired, with starter Robby Ashford failing to hit the 50% completion percentage mark on the season after taking over for TJ Finley.

In an attempt to shore up the position, Auburn took in Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne this offseason. He and Ashford are expected to battle for the job in fall camp, but that battle could last well into the season, Freeze said.

“I am cautiously optimistic that we can win some football games with several of those guys,” Freeze said, according to The Auburn Observer’s Justin Ferguson. “It may be three games into the season before we know this is absolutely the guy. I hope that’s not the case, but it could be.”

Thorne arrives at Auburn after two solid years as the starter at Michigan State. He’s a capable quarterback.

During his two seasons starting, Thorne threw for 5,919 yards while amassing 46 touchdowns against 21 interceptions. He also added five rushing touchdowns on 223 yards.

But while he may be the favorite to start as the new arrival, Ashford is nothing to sleep on either.

Despite his 49.2% completion percentage last season, Ashford threw for 1,613 yards with seven touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for 710 yards and seven scores, and it’s that dual-threat ability that could keep him firmly in the mix to win the starting job.

At the very least, it seems like Freeze will find a way to use him even if Thorne serves as the starter.

Auburn path to long-term success is recruiting

While the addition of guys like Thorne can certainly help Hugh Freeze in his rebuild at Auburn, there’s only so far the transfer portal will go. Eventually high school recruiting has to take over.

The good news for the Tigers is Freeze has been lights out on the trail so far.

“This is the direction of Auburn under Hugh Freeze. With that being said, transfers is a shaky foundation to be built on. I’m not saying it can’t work. We’ve seen it work many times, but it doesn’t guarantee success. My excitement, if I’m an Auburn fan, would be for the future under Hugh Freeze because of his ability to land top talent on the recruiting trail,” On3’s JD PicKell said.

That’s not to say that Auburn can’t have a tremendous season before Freeze really reloads the roster, only that it’s something not many would expect. Perhaps even including Hugh Freeze.

He knows that ultimately talent will be the difference-maker.

“The SEC is a brutal spot to push a ship out into the harbor, out into the storm that is the SEC, playing all those elite teams week in and week out, and trying to make sure the ship floats,” PicKell said. “It could happen, I’m not saying it won’t. I’m not predicting that by any stretch of the imagination. But my excitement, my real optimism, my long-term hope is in the long-term results that I think are coming Auburn’s way because of adding top talent and because of how they’re going to recruit.”