The talk surrounding transfer quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] to this point has been either hypothetical or statistical. During Auburn’s time at SEC Media Days on Tuesday, college football fans got a new perspective on the addition from Michigan State.
Tight end [autotag]Luke Deal[/autotag] spoke with reporters Tuesday in Nashville, where the topic of Thorne was brought up. What does Thorne bring to the table? Deal says that he has the “it factor” when it comes to being a leader within the program.
“He’s what, a two-time captain at Michigan State? And rightfully so,” Deal said Tuesday. “I think a lot of the guys trust him, and that’s the main thing on a new team, especially a team with some older guys on it. He’s got that savvy quarterback demeanor that you look for in a quarterback. He’s somebody that I think will help us. One way or another, he’ll help us in our strides this year.”
The competition will be strong between Thorne and incumbent starter [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] heading into fall camp. There has not been a set date for when a starter will be named, but Hugh Freeze shared a timetable on Tuesday.
“We’ve got to have a 10-day plan with three guys getting some reps and then it’s got to go down to two guys, and hopefully all of them will handle the competition aspects of it well, but that’ll tell us a lot about that,” Freeze said.
Auburn fall camp will begin on Thursday, Aug. 3.
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