Auburn has struggled with subpar quarterback play for much of the decade. Since parting ways with Gus Malzahn at the end of the 2020 season, no Tigers quarterback has finished in the top 10 of the SEC in passing yards. With Hugh Freeze stepping in as the head coach in 2023, many hoped for offensive improvement, but the quarterback situation has only deteriorated under his leadership.
Before Freeze’s arrival, Auburn traded Bo Nix—who went on to become a Heisman Trophy finalist at Oregon—for Robby Ashford, a backup from Oregon, through the transfer portal at the end of the 2021 season. Ashford’s tenure as Auburn’s starter in 2022 was rocky, as he completed just 49.2% of his passes with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of 7:7. The struggles contributed to head coach Bryan Harsin’s firing in late October of that year.
The hiring of Freeze was widely praised. Known as one of college football’s top play-callers, Freeze had a history of success, including leading teams to bowl appearances in nine of his 10 seasons as a head coach and elevating Liberty to prominence in the Group of Five. Freeze immediately recognized the quarterback position as a major concern but faced difficulties in securing a top recruit or transfer quarterback in the 2023 cycle, with the program undergoing a transition.
Auburn targeted several high-profile quarterbacks in the transfer portal during 2023 but ultimately settled for Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne, who was ranked 43rd among portal quarterbacks. The Tigers also extended 20 offers to quarterbacks in the 2023 class but landed only Hank Brown, ranked 17th in that group. Unfortunately, neither Thorne nor Brown have found success on the field in 2024.
Freeze admitted to struggling with the decision to invest heavily in a transfer quarterback, saying he couldn’t justify “spending a million dollars” on one in the offseason. Instead, he aimed to develop Thorne and Brown for the 2024 season. So far, Thorne has completed just 57.1% of his passes, with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. After a poor performance, he was benched for Brown, who threw three interceptions in the first half during a 24-14 loss to Arkansas.
Auburn’s turnover issues are glaring. The Tigers lead the SEC with eight interceptions—no other team has more than five—and they’ve committed 14 turnovers in just four games, twice as many as any other team in the conference. After the Arkansas loss, Freeze publicly expressed his frustrations with his quarterbacks, drawing criticism from some of his former players.
“I know receivers are open. We’ve got to find a guy who won’t throw it to the other team,” Freeze said, according to Auburn Undercover. “Obviously, we’re not doing a very good job coaching quarterbacks right now.”
Nathan King of Auburn Undercover referred to the Tigers’ situation as “quarterback purgatory.” The offense seems stuck unless Freeze takes a gamble by playing true freshman Walker White. White, rated the No. 9 quarterback in the 2024 class, possesses immense potential but, according to 247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins, needs time to develop before he’s ready for SEC competition.
White went 5-of-13 for 83 yards in Auburn’s spring game and hasn’t played in 2024, with the coaching staff likely intending to preserve his redshirt. If White doesn’t develop into Auburn’s future at quarterback, the program could be in trouble. The Tigers have extended offers to 12 quarterbacks in the 2025 class, but 11 have already committed elsewhere.
Auburn’s quarterback troubles leave the program searching for answers, and unless Freeze can break the cycle, the Tigers may remain stuck in quarterback limbo.
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