Copyright Essentially Sports
After falling to a 15-19 record, Auburn letting go of Hugh Freeze was not a shocker. One thing that created the most problems for him was not getting the QB position right. Despite warning signs. That’s right, former Auburn HC Tommy Tuberville warned Freeze about hiring Payton Thorne and asked him to get a $1.9 million transfer QB in 2024. But true to his form, Freeze ignored and stuck to Thorne and ended up in a big mess. As per Tuberville’s plea, Diego Pavia was the answer for all Auburn’s problems, and looking at Vanderbilt’s rise, that feels evident now. Even a source confirms this narrative to John Talty of CBS Sports IG: “They legitimately thought Thorne was the answer.” During his three years at Auburn, Freeze couldn’t find a perfect QB for his team. He got Payton Thorne from Michigan State in 2023, which looked good on paper, but the issues were showing up. Sure, Thorne had a strong 2021 season with 3,232 passing yards and 27 touchdowns. However, his performance declined to 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions by the time he joined Auburn. Without star players like Kenneth Walker and Jalen Nailor, Thorne couldn’t do much on the field.
