Tag: Hank Brown

Leadership is strong within Auburn’s QB room

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze is pleased with his quarterbacks’ desire to get better ahead of Saturday’s A-Day game.

Auburn fans are set to flock to the Plains this weekend to watch Auburn’s annual A-Day game. One of the many aspects that fans will be watching this Saturday is the quarterback rotation.

[autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] is set to return as Auburn’s incumbent starter, but returners [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] and [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag], as well as true freshman [autotag]Walker White[/autotag], are working towards taking the starting role.

How have Auburn’s quarterbacks progressed? Head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] says that they are not where he would like for them to be, but there is one aspect of the room that he is truly impressed with.

“Leadership has been really good,” Freeze said. “Our decision-making has not been exactly what I want it to be just yet, but, boy, they’re hungry to learn.”

According to a report by Richard Silva of The Montgomery Advertiser, Thorne continues to see the most action with the first team this spring due to his experience in the role, as well as his understanding of opposing defenses. It appears that the backup competition is between Geriner and Brown. Geriner has taken the most second-team snaps, while Brown is looking to build off of his Music City Bowl outing where he passed for 132 yards.

When it comes to White, Silva says that he appears more experienced than his age would lead everyone to believe. Earlier this spring, Thorne told reporters that White is great at asking questions, and is eager to learn as much as he can.

A-Day is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. CT at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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Robby Ashford among top quarterbacks remaining in transfer portal

Brad Crawford of 247Sports considers the former Auburn quarterback one of the best available transfer portal options.

Former Auburn quarterback [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] is still looking for a new home. However, he may cash in his luck sooner rather than later.

Following the announcement of Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa’s decision to enter the transfer portal, Brad Crawford of 247Sports updated his list of the top quarterbacks remaining in the transfer portal. Out of all the available quarterbacks, Ashford checks in at No. 8.

Ashford is above Arizona transfer Jayden de Laura and New Mexico State transfer Diego Pavia on Crawford’s list. Crawford recaps Ashford’s brief but productive two-year stay in Auburn.

After initially transferring to Auburn from Oregon per Auburn Undercover, Ashford was Auburn’s primary starting quarterback during the 2022 season, taking over for nine games after T.J. Finley’s early season injury. Ashford completed 49.2 percent of his passes for 1,613 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] said following his team’s loss to Maryland in the TransPerfect Music City Bowl that the quarterback competition at Auburn is “wide open” for the 2024 season. He did not indicate that he would be looking into the transfer portal for his next starter, however, there are many solid options available such as USC‘s Malachi Nelson, James Madison’s Jordan McCloud, and Matthew Sluka at Holy Cross.

Auburn will head into spring practice with four quarterbacks set to compete for the open position: [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag], [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag], and true freshman [autotag]Walker White[/autotag].

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Auburn’s persistance is key for 2025 QB Deuce Knight

Hugh Freeze was the first coach to contact the four-star QB on August 1, making a hugh impression.

Hugh Freeze and the Auburn coaching staff have locked in their quarterback for the 2024 cycle, four-star [autotag]Walker White[/autotag]. Now, they are working towards landing one of the top options at the position from the 2025  class.

Auburn has been on an upward trend for four-star quarterback Deuce Knight for quite some time. However, it may have been a recent act by Freeze that truly sparked his interest in Auburn. Knight, a 2025 recruit from Nashville, Tennessee, began fielding phone calls from college coaches on Aug. 1, the first day that coaches could begin contacting recruits in his class.

The first call of the day came from none other than Auburn’s head coach.

“When that date happened and Coach Freeze hit me up at 5 in the morning — he was actually the first head coach to call me — a couple of head coaches had texted me and stuff. That meant a lot to me,” Knight tells 247Sports. “And them just keeping in contact every day, I’d say that does a lot for me because I’m big on the communication part.”

The recruiting process is still early for Knight, but he says that he has built a bond with 2025 running back [autotag]Alvin Henderson[/autotag]. Auburn has kept Henderson high on their radar, and his decision could play a role in where Knight ends up.

“That’s my guy,” Knight said of Henderson. “We told each other we were going to talk every day until we both make a decision. Me and Alvin, we’re big on going to college together and being in the same backfield together. Just changing a program together. That’s one thing we’re big on. That’s my dog, we talk every day. It’d just be different if we team up.”

Knight is a 6-4, 195-pound quarterback from Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, and was a high school teammate of Auburn freshman [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag]. Notre Dame is the current favorite to land Knight according to 247Sports, and Ole Miss is the forecasted favorite according to On3.

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Auburn Tigers Snapshot Profile: No. 15 Hank Brown

Here’s what you need to know about Brown ahead of his freshman season.

Going into the 2023 football season, Auburn Wire will be looking at each scholarship player listed on the Tigers’ roster.

Over the preseason, each profile will cover where the player is from, how recruiting websites rated them coming out of high school, and what role they will play for [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] in his first season on the Plains.

Up next is true freshman quarterback [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag]. Auburn’s youngest quarterback appears headed for a redshirt.

Preseason Player Profile

Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee

Height: 6-4

Weight: 201

Class in 2023: True Freshman

247Sports Composite Ranking

Three-Star / No. 40 in Tennessee / No. 71 QB

High School Stats

Year G Completion Percentage Yards TDs
2022 (Lipscomb Academy) 13 73.3% 3,264 47

Depth Chart Overview

Brown was committed to Freeze when he was at Liberty and decided to follow him to the Plains, spurning an offer by UAB and Trent Diler, who was his coach in high school.

He is behind [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], [autotag]Peyton Thorne[/autotag] and [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] who have all spent time in a college program. With him being fourth on the depth chart he appears headed for a redshirt.

Hank Brown’s Photo Gallery

Auburn reveals jersey numbers for freshman summer enrollees

Here’s a look at what number each of Auburn’s freshman summer enrolles will wear.

Auburn put some finishing touches on its roster Tuesday with the announcement of the jersey numbers for the transfers and freshmen who enrolled during the summer.

Eleven freshmen enrolled over the summer and were officially added to the roster including running back [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag], the highest-ranked offensive player from [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s transitional class.

While Cobb has a chance to contribute immediately, quarterback [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag] and offensive tackle [autotag]Tyler Johnson[/autotag] will likely need time to develop before they are ready to see the field.

They also got some much-needed reinforcements in the secondary with cornerbacks [autotag]Colton Hood[/autotag], [autotag]JC Hart[/autotag], [autotag]Champ Anthony[/autotag], and [autotag]Tyler Scott[/autotag], in addition to safeties [autotag]Sylvester Smith[/autotag], [autotag]Terrance Love[/autotag], and [autotag]C.J. Johnson[/autotag] all making it to the Plains.

They also welcome defensive lineman [autotag]Darron Reed Jr.[/autotag] who can play anywhere across the defensive line for the Tigers.

Two members of the 2023 recruiting class are still missing from the roster, freshman wide receiver [autotag]Daquayvious Sorey[/autotag] and JUCO defensive lineman [autotag]Quientrail Jamison-Travis[/autotag].

Here is a look at each number the freshmen summer enrollees will wear their first season at Auburn.

Number Name Position
15 Hank Brown QB
18 Colton Hood CB
19 Sylvester Smith S
20 JC Hart CB
23 Jeremiah Cobb RB
24 Terrance Love S
25 Champ Anthony CB
27 Tyler Scott CB
29 C.J. Johnson S
45 Darron Reed Jr. DL
79 Tyler Johnson OL

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Payton Thorne commits to Auburn

Hugh Freeze has his quarterback.

The news that Auburn fans have been eagerly awaiting to hear this week has finally arrived… [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] is an Auburn Tiger.

The highly-touted quarterback entered the transfer portal on April 30, the final day to declare for the spring transfer portal window. Since he arrived, he was heavily tied to Auburn, who had been on the hunt for a transfer portal quarterback that fit the new scheme set up by head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and offensive coordinator [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag].

On Friday, those suspicisions were put to bed as Thorne announced his commitment to Auburn.

Thorne threw for 6,493 yards and 49 touchdowns in three seasons at Michigan State. Last season, he threw for 200+ yards in nine games for the Spartans, and has 18 total games there he has passed for more than 200 yards.

Thorne will now enter the quarterback competiton with incumbent starter [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], redshirt freshman [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag], and incoming freshman [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag]. He has two season’s of eligibility remaining.

Here’s a look at some of Thorne’s key moments from the 2022 season:

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Hugh Freeze explains process of finding the perfect transfer portal quarterback

Hugh Freeze is being picky about transfer portal quarterbacks, and that could be a good thing.

As the second transfer portal window begins to wind down, many Auburn fans are wondering why there has been a lack of movement regarding [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the quarterbacks currently occupying the portal.

Don’t worry, he hears your concerns.

“I get the tweets’ trust me,” Freeze said at a recent “AMBUSH” engagement in Huntsville. 

Freeze went on to say that he is very selective when it comes to finding the perfect quarterback not only for his scheme but for the program as a whole. His reasoning behind it should be reassuring to Auburn fans.

“Truthfully, I haven’t seen one yet that’s just, ‘Bam, that’s the no-brainer, and he’s ahead of the ones we have,’” Freeze said. “Every time a quarterback goes in the portal, (I say) ‘There he is! There he is!’ Then I watch the film, and I’m like, ‘No, that’s really not the one I’m looking for.’”

The current quarterback battle as it stands includes incumbent starter [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag], and redshirt freshman [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag]. True freshman [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag], who has not arrived on campus yet, will also be a contender this summer. If the “no-brainer” never arrives in the portal, Freeze will be content to develop the talent that he already has on his roster.

“I kind of get excited about Holden (Geriner) and Robby (Ashford) and, you know, T.J. (Finley) and Hank Brown, who’s coming in,” Freeze said. “Does that mean we won’t continue to look?… I’m going to be excited to coach the ones we have and improve them. At the same time, I don’t ever want to be perceived as someone who didn’t say exactly what I was thinking.”

The spring transfer portal window closes Sunday, April 30. Several big names that remain uncommitted include Cincinnati’s Ben Bryant and Nebraska‘s Casey Thompson.

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Freshman QB wants to have a say in Auburn’s ongoing battle

Freshman Hank Brown will be ready to compete once he arrives on campus this summer.

Now that spring practice has concluded, one thing is apparent about Auburn football’s quarterback battle… it is far from over.

Quarterbacks [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag], and [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] each played adequate snaps in the abbreviated A-Day game back on April 8. But due to the cold, rainy conditions on that dreary Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium, neither player was able to showcase exactly what they needed to do in order to separate themselves.

“I think you saw today that (Ashford) got the capability of making some plays. I thought he threw a really good seam ball in those conditions. I thought Holden (Geriner) threw some good balls. He missed a couple of reads on some RPOs I think, T.J. (Finley) did too,” Freeze said following Auburn’s A-Day game. “It’s kind of been that way all spring. Some real positives one day and some inconsistencies the next day. We’ve still got some time to help them improve, hopefully.”

Freeze has suggested that he is willing to dip into the transfer portal to find the right quarterback, but there is one player that is ready to have his shot at winning the quarterback battle.

[autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag], a three-star quarterback from Nashville that signed with Auburn as part of the 2023 signing class, has yet to arrive on campus. However, the ongoing quarterback battle has him excited to be able to show off what he can add to the Tigers’ offense.

“It’s definitely more motivation just for me to be ready,” Brown said in a recent interview with Jason Caldwell of Auburn Undercover. “When that time comes, to be able to compete with them, I’m super excited. I’m going to do whatever I can to help out.”

Brown is already familiar with [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag], as well as quality control coach [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag], as he was once committed to Liberty before Freeze made the move to Auburn. He spent time on campus earlier this spring watching practice and says that he is impressed with what each quarterback brings to the table, and how they can help him become a better signal caller.

“It was really awesome to see how three or four different quarterback guys are able to help us,” Brown said. “They all have different strengths, so it’s going to be such a blessing to be able to get feedback from them at all times. Being able to work with them and help me get through the playbook and working with my mechanics, it’s going to be awesome.”

Brown completed 73% of his passes for 3,264 yards during Lipscomb Academy’s 13-0 championship run in 2022, tossing 47 touchdown passes. He was led by former Super Bowl-winning quarterback and current UAB head coach, Trent Dilfer.

Brown signed with Auburn during the early signing period as the No. 59 quarterback in the country, and the No. 34 player from Tennessee for the 2023 class.

Check out some of Brown’s senior year highlights here

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__

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Could Robby Ashford be the SEC’s most surprising player in 2023?

One analyst says ‘I think Robby Ashford is going to be a pretty good football player this year.’

Freshman transfer quarterback [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] was thrown into the fire in 2022 and made the most of the hand he was dealt.

Filling in for an injured [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] after Auburn’s loss to Penn State, Ashford ultimately took over the starting quarterback role and passed for 1,613 yards and seven touchdowns in his initial college season.

Heading into 2023, Ashford will need to prove to his new head coach that he is worthy of taking over the starting quarterback spot again. While many are doubtful of his abilities, one national college football analyst has high hopes for Ashford.

Josh Pate, the host of The Late Kick from 247Sports, says that Ashford is a winner and that he will have the chance to showcase that trait this season.

“I happen to think Robby Ashford has winning football inside of him. I don’t know whether it’s seven wins or 10 wins, I think he got the right head coach at the right time. My suspicion is that we will be watching the SEC come November if he’s healthy and say ‘I had no clue Robby Ashford was this good.’ …I think Robby Ashford is going to be a pretty good football player this year. He’s still going to have to prove it.”

Ashford is in a quarterback battle with [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] and T.J. Finley this spring and will compete with incoming freshman [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag] once he arrives on campus this summer. Hugh Freeze’s initial reaction to the quarterback room suggests that Ashford, and every Auburn quarterback, will have an uphill battle this spring.

“I thought our quarterbacks threw some decent balls, at times, and other times where our mechanics were really bad. But I kind of expected that,” Freeze said on the opening day of spring practice on Feb. 27.

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The possibility remains for Auburn to add transfer quarterback

Spring practice will be a vital time for Auburn’s QB room.

Auburn Football and head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] filled several holes during the transfer portal window, especially at offensive line. However, there’s one area that still has questions.

Auburn was in the market for several quarterbacks during the 45-day period that spanned from Dec. 5 until Jan. 18, including Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders, NC State’s Devin Leary, and Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall. Auburn missed out on those targets…so what does that mean going forward?

Auburn will for sure begin the spring with the four current quarterbacks on the current– [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag], [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag], and [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag]. Those four will be evaluated, and the decision to add another quarterback will be made before the second window opens on May 1.

“I think I’ll know a lot more after spring practice,” Freeze said when asked about possibly adding a quarterback during the second transfer portal window during a recent press conference.

Spring practice will be vital for Auburn’s quarterback room, as Freeze will examine how well each candidate not only progresses under the new scheme but also how well they perform with more protection from Auburn’s revamped offensive line.

“Truthfully when I watched the cut-ups that I’ve watched, it’s hard. It’s hard for me to adequately judge quarterbacks if they’re not afforded the opportunity to stand in the pocket and make reads and make different throws for a decent percentage of time,” Freeze said. “The sample size for that is pretty small if they weren’t under some type of duress, or maybe it was more of a move-the-pocket scheme.”

Auburn will begin spring workouts on Friday, Feb. 27, and the annual A-Day game is set for Saturday, April 8 at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

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