Former Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne officially headed to Auburn

East Lansing, Mich. – Former Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne made it official on Friday that he will be transferring to Auburn University.

Thorne, who started at Michigan State for two-plus seasons, entered the transfer portal on Sunday, amid speculation that Auburn had become among the leading contenders for his services, even before he entered the portal. 

In a post at 1:36 p.m., Thorne tweeted a photo of himself wearing a super-imposed Auburn uniform, with the message: “WAR. DAMN. EAGLE. Thank you Lord!”

WAR. DAMN. EAGLE. 🦅 Thank You Lord! @AuburnFootball pic.twitter.com/3GqFvWhP75

— Payton Thorne (@payton15thorne) May 5, 2023

Thorne was expected to be a third-year starter for the Spartans this fall, although he was going to get serious competition from redshirt-junior Noah Kim throughout summer workouts and into fall camp.

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Thorne had heroic moments in 2021 with clutch throws in victories over Michigan and Penn State, helping Michigan State go 11-2, win the Peach Bowl and establish a school record for touchdown throws in a season.

Last year, without Kenneth Walker III, and with favorite target Jayden Reed playing hurt for most of the season, and with Thorne experiencing a set of various injuries which severely hampered his performance, the Spartans went 5-7. 

Thorne ranks among Michigan State’s career leaders in passing touchdowns (fourth with 49), completion percentage (fifth at .609) and passing yards (sixth with 6,494).

Thorne quarterbacked Michigan State to an 11-2 season as a sophomore in 2021, beating out Temple transfer Anthony Russo for the job. Thorne managed an offense that was led by superstar running back Kenneth Walker III. 

Last year, Thorne’s quickness was hampered by lower body injuries, and the offense was stricken by lack of explosiveness in the run game. Thorne, a team captain, saw his productivity and efficiency drop. He completed 62.5 percent of his passes for 2,679 yards with 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. 

Thorne threw for 300 or more yards only once as a junior in 2022, throwing for 323 in a comeback attempt at Washington. 

He had three 300-yard passing days as a sophomore in 2021.

MORE – What kind of a player is Auburn getting in Thorne?

In 2021, he set a single-season Michigan State record for TD passes in a season with 27. He threw for 3,414 yards, the third most in school history.

His TD-to-INT ratio fell from 27-10 in 2021 to 19-11 in 2022. Playing without Walker, and playing from behind, and playing through injuries, had a lot to do with his drop in production. He could be poised for a bounce-back year at Auburn behind the system of first-year head coach Hugh Freeze. 

It was reported on Sunday that Thorne had entered the portal. Thorne made an official statement to Michigan State fans on Thursday, stating that he would be leaving the university.

On Twitter, Thorne wrote: “Spartan fans, I want to thank you for the support you’ve given me over these past four years. Playing as a Spartan has been a blessing since day one. The relationships that I’ve developed over these past years will be some that last a lifetime. I’ve made countless memories at Michigan State that will never be forgotten. 

“I will always be thankful for the opportunity that Coach Dantonio gave me to play here at this university. I would like to thank Coach Tucker for these past few years as well. With that being said, life can change quick, and my days at Michigan State have come to a close. I leave this place knowing that I have given it everything I’ve got. 

“I will forever be a Spartan.”

Below is Thorne’s press conference following Michigan State’s April 15 spring scrimmage, and his thoughts on the QB competition that had been taking place and his plans, at that time, for the spring and summer: