Hank Brown – Page 4 – Syndication Server

Where Walker White ranks in Phil Steele’s top 25 freshman quarterbacks

The future at quarterback is bright for the Auburn Tigers.

Auburn football has been in search for its perfect fit at quarterback for the last few seasons, trying to find success at the head of the offense and make some noise in the future. One of the newest faces in the Tigers’ quarterback room has the potential to be the future of the offense, gaining attention on some watch lists.

New freshman [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] has been placed at No. 10 on Phil Steele’s list of the top 25 freshman quarterbacks going into the 2024 season, giving Auburn fans a little hope for what is to come with the high school star.

White enters the program as a four-star prospect who was ranked as the No. 86 overall player and No. 7 quarterback in the nation according to the On3 industry ranking. He was also ranked as the No. 3 player in the state of Arkansas.

Steele had high praise to give for the potential young phenom, saying Tiger fans should be very optimistic of what is to come.

“Auburn fans might have found their quarterback in the future with White, who will likely use this year to redshirt behind more experienced players. He finished 5-of-13 passing for 83 yards during the Tigers’ spring game, flashing potential of what he can one day become.”

White led Little Rock Christian Academy to a state championship appearance in his senior year of high school and capped off his career with the team with 80 touchdowns.

He now sits in a quarterback room behind starting quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and with backups [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag], [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag], Jackson Barkley and John Colvin.

White is likely to be next in line once Thorne graduates, but will battle with Brown for the starting spot in 2025.

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How often could Walker White see the field in 2024?

The freshman QB has plenty of upside. How much of a factor will he be in the success of Auburn’s offense?

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has given his full confidence to [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] to lead the Auburn offense in 2024.

However, if matters appear to go south in a game quickly, or if he consistently shows signs of 2023’s struggles, Freeze will need to have an emergency backup plan in place. That plan could involve true freshman [autotag]Walker White[/autotag].

White signed with Auburn as the nation’s No. 5 quarterback from the 2024 recruiting cycle and the No. 1 player from Arkansas. He threw for over 2,000 yards in each of his final three seasons at Little Rock Christian and will mesh well with Auburn’s new passing strategy.

247Sports’ Cooper Petagna recently revealed his top five freshmen quarterbacks most likely to play in 2024 list, and placed White as the No. 2 option behind Washington‘s Demond Williams Jr. If White were to not earn a starting bid during the 2024 season, Petagna sees plenty of ways that Auburn could use him on the field.

“He’s a wild card. Auburn is in a pretty comfortable position with Payton Thorne. They have three guys that they like. Walker White is a guy who is just oozing with physical traits and upside. He’s a guy that we saw as a raw, developmental prospect. He’s got a pro comp to Will Levis. If Auburn is in a situation to get Walker White on the field, that’s going to be really tempting for Hugh Freeze. There are some expectations for Auburn under Hugh Freeze in year two, but big picture-wise, White is a guy that you want to get as much experience as possible. Freeze will find a way to get him in. He’s got a big frame at 230 pounds. They can use them around the goal line, too.”

White will have two competitors to fight off for playing time this season. [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] returns to the team as a Sophomore, and [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag] will look to build off his Music City Bowl performance in 2024.

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ESPN breaks down Auburn’s quarterback situation heading into the 2024 season

ESPN has placed each FBS quarterback situation into tiers. Where does Auburn fall?

Auburn’s offense is all but entirely revamped heading into the 2024 season. However, its biggest concern remains at the quarterback position.

ESPN released its FBS quarterback tiers list this week where Auburn falls in Tier 13, subtitled “Year II, Part II.” ESPN describes the tier as a list of transfer quarterbacks who need to take a step forward as they enter their second season at their respective programs. Iowa, Illinois, Purdue, and Houston join Auburn in this tier.

Michigan State transfer [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] will get another shot to lead the Tigers’ offense this season after experiencing a challenging debut season on the Plains by passing for 1,755 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also threw 11 interceptions and completed just 61% of his passes. Three other quarterbacks saw action last season in addition to Thorne. The trio of [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag], [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag], and [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag] combined to pass for 354 yards and two touchdowns.

ESPN shares a disheartening stat regarding Auburn’s 2023 passing numbers, which sparks the need for improvement.

In Hugh Freeze’s 11-year career as a head coach, last year marked the lowest total of passing yards, passing touchdowns, yards per dropback and completions of 20 yards or more by his QBs.

Geriner returns as a backup to Thorne, while Brown and true freshman [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] look to compete for snaps as well. The pressure will be tight for Thorne, as he looks to progress with a new group of receivers to pass to.

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.

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].

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:

WAR. DAMN. EAGLE. 🦅 Thank You Lord! @AuburnFootball pic.twitter.com/3GqFvWhP75

— Payton Thorne (@payton15thorne) May 5, 2023

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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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