Walker White – Page 2 – Syndication Server

On3’s Jesse Simonton shares thoughts on Auburn’s QB competition

Thorne appears to be the favorite to win the job, but how long will it be his?

Although not officially decided, [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] is expected to lead Auburn’s offense as QB1 for the season-opener with Alabama A&M and beyond, but how long will he keep his spot?

On3’s Jesse Simonton shared his take on college football’s top quarterback competitions including Auburn’s. He gives the nod to Thorne citing Hugh Freeze’s offseason improvements in recruiting.

“Thorne is the incumbent starter and exited spring practice in “pole position,” and all indications are Thorne has continued to separate himself in fall camp,” Simonton said. “Freeze has been flip-floppy with Throne, but Auburn has done a great job this offseason making sure its quarterback is supported by a much stronger cast of playmakers (5-star freshman wideout Cam Coleman, Georgia State transfer Robert Lewis, and Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith.)”

However, Simonton questions how long Thorne will last as the starter. Last season, Auburn finished No. 14 in the SEC with 175.9 yards per game, 20 yards fewer than the next-highest team, Mississippi State. Simonton says that “one of the youngsters could get a look” if Thorne shows signs of struggle early. [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] and [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag] return to the QB room while Freeze prepares to develop freshman [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] for a chance to start after this season.

Auburn wide receiver [autotag]Sam Jackson V[/autotag] expects Thorne to return to his 2021 form this season. In 2021 at Michigan State, Thorne passed for over 3,000 yards and led the Spartans to a Peach Bowl win. Will Thorne reach that level again in 2024?

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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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Three Tigers named top 100 impact freshman by 247Sports

Of the trio, Coleman is the only freshmen “locked-in” to receive the bulk of the snaps at his position, but Williams and White could push incumbent starters for playing time as the 2024 season progresses.

247 Sports has named Auburn wide receiver[autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], quarterback Walker White, and defensive lineman Amaris Williams among their top 100 impact true freshman this football season. Of the trio, Coleman is the only freshmen “locked-in” to receive the bulk of the snaps at his position, but Williams and White could push incumbent starters for playing time as the 2024 season progresses.

The five-star Coleman is certain to be the No. 1 option for Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne, and possibly Walker White down the road, this season. The Phenix City, AL native had one of the most decorated careers for a wide out in Alabama high school history, earning him the No. 5 overall spot in the 2024 class. Coleman’s commitment to Auburn was the golden moment of the “Hugh Freeze Era” to this point. Auburn’s head coach will likely put an emphasis on getting his best recruit the ball early and often this campaign.

As for the aforementioned White, the four-star quarterback will not be throwing the ball to his fellow freshman in meaningful games, at least right away. The Little Rock, AR native’s path to playing time is blocked by incumbent started Payton Thorne. Thorne will probably retain the “QB1” role for the first month or so of the season regardless of statistics, but growth from White along with struggles form Thorne could give the young quarterback an opportunity.

The lone defensive player of the trio, Amaris Williams, comes to the Plains as the No. 30 overall prospect in the 2024 class. While the five-star edge rusher is uber-talented, his position may be the deepest on the Tiger’s roster. Williams will certainly start the season behind star linebacker Jalen McLeod, while fellow highly touted freshman Jamonta Waller will also be competing for snaps at the “BUCK” linebacker position.

If Williams shows extreme promise early on, defensive coordinator DJ Durkin could opt to rotate him in as a down lineman, taking snaps away from sophomore Keldric Faulk.

Auburn’s three impact freshman and the rest of the Tigers begin the season on August 31 against Alabama A&M. We’ll get a better idea of how the depth chart will shake out as the summer progresses.

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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.

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.

Auburn reveals jersey numbers for 2024 early enrollees

2024 signees such as Cam Coleman, Walker White, and Joseph Phillips have secured their jersey numbers ahead of spring practice.

Auburn football will begin this week, and they will have several members of its No. 7 ranked 2024 recruiting class joining them.

Signees such as wide receivers [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag] and [autotag]Malcolm Simmons[/autotag] will enroll this summer, but the Tigers will still have the likes of [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Walker White[/autotag], [autotag]Joseph Phillips[/autotag], and [autotag]Demarcus Riddick[/autotag] on campus to go through spring exercises and to get ahead start to their college careers.

Ahead of the start of spring practices, Auburn football revealed the numbers that each early enrollee will wear during their first season on the Plains. Here is a look at which 2024 signees will participate in spring practice, as well as the number they will be representing on their jerseys.

2026 quarterback Dia Bell to visit Auburn in March

The 6-foot-2, 192-pound prospect has already received an offer from the Tigers with plenty of other major programs also interested.

Class of 2026 quarterback [autotag]Dia Bell[/autotag] has announced his intention to visit Auburn this spring. The 6-foot-2, 192-pound prospect has already received an offer from the Tigers with plenty of other major programs also interested.

Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Miami, Indiana, Penn State as well as SEC programs Florida and LSU have already extended an offer to the sophomore.

Bell will make stops at two of those schools, Miami and LSU, a week before he comes down to the Plains. He’ll then continue to Texas, Penn State, West Virginia, Florida, and Mississippi State at some point later on in the spring or summer.

While it is still very early in the process for Bell, it is likely a prospect of his size and talent waits until the last minute to verbally commit to a program.

We’ll see how incoming Auburn freshman [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] performs over the next year and a half. His performance could tie directly into how hard head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and company go after Bell in the coming years.

Busy spring ahead for class of 2026 quarterback Dia Bell.

The class of 2026 quarterback is going to be all over the place in the coming month or so, as he visits a ton of schools.

Story: https://t.co/z1J3XSBwg1 @DiaBell3QB1 @247Sports pic.twitter.com/IjSdQsc1fn

— Tom Loy (@TomLoy247) February 21, 2024

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Walker White ranks top-five in 247Sports’ final 2024 quarterback rankings

White is one of many talented players that will join the Tigers’ roster ahead of the 2024 season.

Auburn football’s 2024 signing class is special.

The Tigers have landed quality talent at wide receiver, such as five-star [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag]. The guy who will be throwing passes to those stud wide receivers is not so bad himself.

247Sports recently released its final rankings for the 2024 class, and quarterback signee [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] is among the nation’s best at the position. White is considered to be the fifth-best quarterback in the class, which makes him the highest-ranked quarterback signee for Auburn since [autotag]Bo Nix[/autotag], who was the No. 2 quarterback in the 2019 class.

White is considered to be a four-star quarterback by 247Sports’ standards. He is the No. 41 overall player for the 2024 class and is the top player from the state of Arkansas. As a senior at Little Rock Christian Academy, White passed for 2,660 yards and 29 touchdowns while rushing for an additional 834 yards and eight scores.

White is one of three SEC signees to earn a top-10 ranking from 247Sports, joining Florida signee DJ Lagway and Georgia pledge Ryan Puglisi.

The FINAL Top 10 QBs in the Class of 2024. 🏈

MORE: https://t.co/C494jFLdtZ pic.twitter.com/AFBjRspBlf

— 247Sports (@247Sports) January 25, 2024

Is Will Rogers a perfect fit for Auburn?

On3’s Pete Nakos believes that one season of Will Rogers could benefit the future of Auburn’s quarterback room.

An eventful week in Seattle has led to one of the nation’s top college quarterbacks to return to the transfer portal.

Following the departure of head coach Kalen DeBoer to Alabama, former Mississippi State quarterback [autotag]Will Rogers[/autotag] has decided to back off his pledge to Washington and has re-entered the transfer portal. Ryan Haley of College Sports Wire lists Auburn as a potential landing spot for Rogers, and Pete Nakos of On3 has similar sentiments.

In a recent interview with On3’s Andy Staples, Nakos mentioned that he has spoken with Rogers since his re-entry into the transfer portal. Rogers tells Nakos that he is open to every option on the table, including a return to Washington.

If he elects not to play for new Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch, could Auburn be the best suitor? Rogers has one season of eligibility remaining, which could benefit Auburn’s quarterback room while true freshman [autotag]Walker White[/autotag] develops Nakos says.

“[Auburn] is going to try to add a quarterback one way or the other.. They’re not going to take a quarterback with like three years of eligibility left. There’s Walker White, the freshman, coming in, who’s really highly-touted and really highly thought of. They want him to be the guy in the years to come.”

In four seasons as the primary starter at Mississippi State, Rogers passed for 12,315 yards and 94 touchdowns while holding a 69.3 completion percentage. Auburn returns three scholarship quarterbacks, including incumbent starter [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag], for the 2024 season.