Luke Deal discusses arrival of Payton Thorne

Luke Deal really loved the arrival of transfer quarterback Payton Thorne to the Auburn football program. The former Michigan State quarterback traded in his green and white, for navy blue and burnt orange.

Many expected the quarterback competition to go to Thorne once he transferred in. However, nothing was decided just yet, but Hugh Freeze acknowledged the battle will be narrowed quickly after camp starts. 

Regardless of how it goes, Deal is excited to have Thorne aboard.

“I think Payton is an incredible leader,” Deal said. “He’s a really good guy. I’ve gotten to know him on a personal level. I really like his leadership qualities that he brings. He’s got that savvy quarterback demeanor that you look for in a quarterback. He’s somebody that I think will help us. One way or another, he’ll help us in our strides this year.”

Thorne lit it up in 2021 but took a step back in terms of his stats last season. Last year, Thorne had 2,679 yards, 19 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 62.5% completion percentage.

Over the course of his college career (29 games at Michigan State), Thorne had 6,493 yards, 49 touchdowns, 24 interceptions and a 61% completion percentage.

As a member of the Class of 2019, Thorne was a three-star recruit out of Naperville (Ill.) Central, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He was the No. 25 overall prospect in the state, the No. 63 quarterback in the class and the No. 1,125 overall prospect in the class.

Hugh Freeze updates quarterback competition with Payton Thorne

Thorne is battling with incumbent quarterback Robby Ashford for the Auburn starting gig.

“I’m very truthfully a lot more optimistic than most people are. I think we’ve got a good room,” Freeze said during SEC Media Days. “And we’ve been able to do things with quarterbacks everywhere we’ve been and produce good enough results to win.

“Obviously, we want to create competition in the room. That’s why we brought in Payton, who’s had great experiences. I think what he adds to that room right now is incredible leadership. One of the first things he did was come in and say, ‘Coach, is there any way someone can give me a sheet of paper that has a picture of everyone that works in this building because I want to learn everyone’s name? That’s the type of leader he is.”