The news that Auburn fans have been waiting to hear for months was finally delivered on Thursday, as head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] officially named Payton Thorne as the Tigers’ starting quarterback for their season opener on Sept. 2 against UMass.
Freeze mentioned Saturday that he would need to review the film of last Saturday’s scrimmage before officially naming a starting quarterback. Thursday, he revealed that he trusted his instincts when picking the right candidate for the open job.
“I believe in all three of those guys. There are days where there has been very little separation,” Freeze said Thursday. “I just believe, man, my gut is usually right, and usually when I follow my gut? And I’m not saying my gut is right that Payton is the guy for all 12 games. But my gut is saying it’s the time to do this, to get us best prepared for the opening of the season.”
The race for the quarterback job was a tight one, but Freeze says that there was one factor that led to Thorne separating himself from the rest of the pack.
“To this point, I think the separation? The reason Payton is getting the nod is just the leadership ability and the understanding of the offense,” Freeze said. “He’s been in some really good battles. It just seems like he was more efficient in the decision-making to this point. Not that the others were terrible by any means. It was not just a slam dunk.”
What is next for [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] and [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag]? Ashford is deemed the team’s second-string quarterback, with Geriner wrapping up the third-string slot. Freeze confirmed Auburn fans’ suspicions that if Ashford were to lose out on winning the starting quarterback job, he would still find a way to get on the field.
“I believe with all my heart Robby Ashford gives us an absolute better chance to win the game if he accepts this news and continues to work and develops himself,” Freeze said. “Because he might be the most freakish athlete I’ve ever had at quarterback.”
Watch the entirety of Freeze’s Thursday presser below.
https://www.youtube.com/live/-oZlHRPh0PA?feature=shared
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