Auburn Tigers Quarterback Battle behind Payton Thorne

Payton Thorne returns as the starter for the Auburn Tigers, but with a highly-touted freshman in the wings, the battle for QB2 is one to watch.

Walker White enters his freshman year with the Auburn Tigers full of expectations. / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY

Quarterback Payton Thorne enters his final season with the Auburn Tigers. While he earned the starting spot, what happens if he suffers an injury? Traditionally, backup quarterbacks enjoy unfettered anonymity until opportunity presents itself. Granted, everyone in the locker room and admin prefers Thorne to finish the season. 

However, what happens if the unthinkable happens? If you're Auburn, where do you turn? Who should you start? How much different does the offense change? As of this writing, three quarterbacks fight for the primary backup spot. Which should lead the team?

Holden Geringer

Geringer enters his third season on The Plains. Geringer played in two games last season, after sitting the entire 2022 season. He excels with a spread set. In limited action, you see the skillset. First, the arm strength is a tick above average while the feel for the game continues to evolve. 

Although no one will confuse him for a dual threat, the Savannah, Ga. native will prolong plays and gain positive yards, if the moment presents itself. Geringer presents as a capable backup that will not deviate from the plan. As a result, defenses will play him similar to Thorne, but with less experience. 

Maybe if an injury occurred during a blowout and you want to preserve a lead, Geringer will not lose the game. By the same token, will he pull the trigger on deep shots? Of the three backups, he presents the safest option.

Hank Brown

If you watched last year's Music City Bowl, you saw Brown effectively move the ball versus Maryland. Now, in all candor, Maryland dropped back rather than rush heavy since the game looked out of hand. With that said, looking at Brown's abilities, you see a difference between him and Geringer. 

Brown scans through his progressions at a lightning pace. As a result, his throws immediately find the targets. Moreover, he excels at the intermediate throw, allowing the receiver to gain chunk yardage after the catch. With that patience and confidence, you can see the coaching staff believing in him to take the reins in an emergency. Plus, Hugh Freeze recruited Brown while he coached at Liberty. 

On the other hand, Brown struggles with the gimme throws. That is to say, the short throws will feature either hesitation or rushing. For example, swing passes need to allow the back to catch them in stride, and not require a pirouette. Similarly, the slant cannot cause the wideout to slow his route to reach back. Yet, with Freeze's backing, Brown possesses enough grasp of the offense that could require him to make big throws.

Walker White

Of the three vying for the backup spot and one to take over for Thorne in 2024 due to injury, White shows off the most arm talent. The true freshman from Little Rock spins the ball like no one on the roster. He makes every throw on the route tree, regardless of distance or side of the field. 

As trite as the quarterback label of gunslinger is, White embodies the ability to take the top off a defense in a hurry. Receivers that love the vertical game will appreciate catching deep routes from him. Additionally, the freshman displays enough foot speed and agility to gain yards with his legs. Now, that does not mean he will run an RPO, just that he's not a statue. 

However, of the three backups, White obviously possesses the least experience. SEC defenses with look and speed will pose problems for anyone that never stepped foot on an SEC field during the season. Meanwhile, the only way for White to gain the needed experience is to actually play.  Hugh Freeze knows what the above-mentioned two bring to the field, does he look to White to mop up, in the hopes of gaining reps?

Verdict

If Auburn streaks ahead of an opponent in the second half, or falls behind by the same amount, one of these three need to play. In Geringer, you have the safest choice. You shouldn't expect bold decisions. Instead, a controlled approach to the game, cognizant of everything.

In contrast, Brown gained enough trust to see bowl game reps. He flies through his progressions, preferring to check down, instead of forcing the ball in an unforgiving spot. White provides the wow factor, given his ability to launch the ball over defenses. 

At the same time, is that really enough to warrant time on the field? If Freeze wants to start planning for life after Thorne, no harm exists in throwing White into the fire to see what he can do, provided the game remains out of hand.