College Coaches Rank Auburn Tigers QB Payton Thorne

ESPN conducted a survey of college coaches on the top quarterbacks around the country including Payton Thorne of the Auburn Tigers.

Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne was outstanding in a road win over Arkansas. / Photo by Zach Bland, Auburn Tigers

SEC coaches and defense assistants ranked Auburn Tigers' Payton Thorne in the latter half of fellow SEC quarterbacks 

Florida State and Georgia Tech will kick off the 2024 college football season in Dublin, Ireland, Saturday, officially marking the start of a new era of college football. 

Teams in the SEC won’t begin its seasons until Aug. 29 but before play starts, various coaches and defensive assistants spoke to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg about the top returning quarterbacks in college football. 

According to the article, which can be found on ESPN+, Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne was ranked ninth out of 16 SEC quarterbacks. The list ahead of Thorne:

1. Carson Beck, Georgia
2. Quinn Ewers, Texas
3. Jalen Milroe, Alabama
4. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss
5. Brady Cook Missouri
6. Conner Weigman, Texas A&M
7. Graham Mertz, Florida
8. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
9. Payton Thorne, Auburn 

Thorne is coming off of a mediocre year with Auburn in his first year in the SEC. Thorne thrived with Michigan State in 2021 before transferring before the 2023 season. In 2021, he set Michigan State’s single-season record throwing 27 touchdowns and 3,233 yards en route to an 11-2 record for the Spartans.

But in his first year with the Tigers, Thorne tossed just 16 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, throwing for 1,755 yards. 

This season, Thorne is expected to improve with an upgraded surrounding cast. Head coach Hugh Freeze decided to not hit the portal for a new quarterback and instead brought in a new offensive coordinator in Derrick Nix. 

Although there will be a new face coordinating the offense for Freeze, a fellow SEC coach has doubts. 

"I don't know that they've actually got an answer," an SEC coach said. "The only way you don't go to the portal is if you think, 'OK, I've got a freshman who's going to take over and be the guy.' And I don't think they've got that, either."

The Tigers don’t have the toughest schedule in the conference, but there’s a three-game stretch from Sept. 28 to Oct. 19 where they’ll face Oklahoma, Georgia and Missouri, all ranked teams to start the season. 

The Tigers have five-straight home games to open the season to break in several new faces on the offensive line and integrate a host of young, talented receivers.

Freeze and company will look to improve on an average 2023 season that ended with a blowout loss in the Music City Bowl. And they’ll have Thorne to rely on under center to hopefully lead that improvement.