Around The SEC: Hugh Freeze Happy With Work Ethic Of His Quarterbacks

Hugh Freeze is pleased with how his quarterbacks are coming along ahead of his first season as the Auburn head coach.

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze and the Tigers have been very busy in the transfer portal this spring as he prepares for his first season as the team's head coach.

Freeze has lost 19 players to the portal thus far himself, but has brought in 17 more.

While the Tigers have been active in the portal, one position was missing that many believed was a sure need. After Grayson McCall elected to stay at Coastal Carolina, it seemed unlikely that Freeze would find a proven starter from the portal. However, Payton Thorne, a grad transfer and two-year starter from Michigan State, entered the portal and committed to Auburn.

Freeze said he was proud that Thorne was already in the film room preparing for the fall. 

“Man, he didn’t wait,” Freeze said, according to Adam Cole of the Opelika-Auburn News. “He’s already in there watching film on his own and learning stuff. He’s anxious to get with the team and start working out.”

Freeze also praised Robby Ashford, who started nine games last year for the Tigers, for his preparation. Thorne was brought in to provide depth and competition to the quarterback, and incumbent starter Ashford seems up for the challenge. 

“Robby’s handling things extremely well,” Freeze said, per Cole. 

“I’m proud of him for that. Every team at this level is going to have competition at every position if you want to be good. You’re going to have four quarterbacks … and we’ve got to go compete and figure out what’s best for our football team. I think it’s vital that all of our quarterbacks are doing a lot this summer to prepare.”

It will be interesting to see who the starting quarterback is on Sept. 2 when the Tigers open the season against UMass.