In a press conference, Payton Thorne, a quarterback for Auburn football, gave passive-aggressive advice to Hank Brown, a redshirt freshman, when asked what advise he would give the quarterback. Extremely aggressive, passive-aggressive guidance.
When asked what advise he would give Brown, Thorne replied, “I’m gonna be talking to him about staying off his phone, quite honestly” (h/t The Next Round). A member of the media appeared surprised that he would make such a statement, but then he clarified that he didn’t want Brown to check social media and what others were saying.
But it’s obvious that Thorne doesn’t really care to mentor Brown. With a chilly expression on his face, Thorne said what he did, looking irritated that Brown, who had taken over his starting role at center, was now the center of attention. After tossing three interceptions in his first two games, against New Mexico and Arkansas in Weeks 3 and 4, respectively, Brown was benched against the Hogs.
However, it appears that Thorne will return as QB1 going forward.
Hugh Freeze hints that Payton Thorne can be Auburn football’s QB1 after Hank Brown’s disasterclass against New Mexico
It appears from Hugh Freeze’s postgame remarks following Jordan-Hare Stadium’s 24-14 defeat to Arkansas that Thorne will continue to start at quarterback going forward. Thorne’s cleanup efforts delighted Freeze, who even gave him praise on his Auburn career so far.
Regarding the interception, Freeze remarked, “I thought it was a good ball” (h/t per AL.com). “We read it correctly. I need to catch that one. Payton performed admirably.
“He has already done it. These kinds of settings are what he has played in. Payton has performed admirably thus far. When we have people running wide open, all we have to do is catch the football. We haven’t used it all today and have surrendered almost all of our possessions.
Tiger supporters will generally not be overly happy about this news. By Week 4 of the 2024 season, Freeze has a 3-6 record in SEC play and appears to have tied his time on the Plains to Thorne.
