Auburn University football fans have been eagerly awaiting the announcement of who the starting quarterback would be for the upcoming season. On Monday, head coach Gus Malzahn made the announcement that Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne will be the starting quarterback for the Tigers.
Thorne is a redshirt freshman from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and he was a four-star recruit coming out of high school. He appeared in three games for Michigan State last season, completing 11 of 17 passes for 132 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for two touchdowns.
Malzahn said that Thorne has been impressive in practice and has earned the starting job. He added that Thorne has a great arm and is a great decision maker. He also said that Thorne has been a great leader and has earned the respect of his teammates.
The Tigers are coming off a disappointing 8-5 season last year, and they are hoping that Thorne can help turn things around. He will be joined in the backfield by running back Tank Bigsby, who was one of the top recruits in the country last year.
Thorne will have plenty of weapons to work with, including wide receivers Seth Williams and Anthony Schwartz. The Tigers also have a solid offensive line that should give Thorne plenty of time to make plays.
It will be interesting to see how Thorne performs in his first season as the starting quarterback for Auburn. Malzahn believes he has the potential to be a great player, and the Tigers are hoping he can help lead them back to the top of the SEC.
