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BREAKING: Michigan State transfer QB Payton Thorne commits to Auburn

Jeffrey Leeby:Jeffrey Lee•05/05/23•

JLeeAULive

Payton Thorne

Auburn football has added a commitment from transfer quarterback Payton Thorne.

Thorne, who is transferring from Michigan State, announced his commitment to the Tigers on Friday. He’s arguably the biggest transfer addition for Auburn under new coach Hugh Freeze.

Thorne is transferring from Michigan State after passing for 6,494 yards and 49 touchdowns.

In 2021, statistically his best season for the Spartans, Thorne completed 234-of-388 passes (60%) for 3,233 yards with 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 181 yards and four scores. He led Michigan State to an 11-2 record and a win in the New Year’s Six Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl with a 31-21 victory over No. 12 Pitt.

Thorne’s 27 touchdowns is a school single-season record, surpassing the previous record of 25 held by Kirk Cousins.

In 2022, Thorne started 12 games and passed for 2,679 yards with 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He completed 63% of his passes (242-of-387).

Thorne is expected to compete immediately for the Tigers’ starting quarterback job, if not win it. The job remained open after a spring battle between Robby Ashford, TJ Finley and Holden Geriner failed to yield a true QB1. Finley since has entered the transfer portal.

Thorne, who is listed at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, played high school ball at Naperville Central in Illinois. He was rated a three-star recruit and the No. 1126 overall player in the 2019 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

Thorne is a graduate transfer with two years of eligibility.

Thorne’s career notes from MSU

Thorne’s career notes from MSUSpartans.com.

CAREER NOTES: Three-year letterwinner has 49 career TD passes on 524-of-860 (.609) passing for 6,494 yards in 29 career games (223.9 ypg), including 26 career starts (16-10 record) . . . ranks among Michigan State’s career leaders in passing touchowns (fourth with 49), completion percentage (fifth at .609), passing yards (sixth with 6,494), pass completions (sixth with 524), pass attempts (sixth with 860) and passing efficiency (eighth with 137.6 rating) . . . has five career games with 300-plus yards passing . . . has thrown multiple TDs in a total of 13 games . . . has thrown for three or more TDs in seven career games along with four TDs in three games . . . one of two Spartan QBs to throw for four TDs in a game at least four times (Connor Cook) . . . has also scored five rushing touchdowns (one in 2020; four in 2021; one in 2022) . . . three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection . . . two-time team captain (2021, 2022).

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