Thursday kicked off fall practices for Auburn as the regular season is less than a month away, and media was granted access to a viewing window to watch part of practice.
With an ongoing quarterback battle set to be handled during fall camp, Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne was seen running with the first team offense. Thorne was handing off to Damari Alston, throwing to receivers Nick Mardner, Camden Brown and Jay Fair and had Dillon Wade, Tate Johnson, Avery Jones, Kameron Stutts and Gunner Britton in front of him on the offensive line.
Alston was running with the first team offense as presumed starter Jarquez Hunter was not present.
Redshirt freshman Holden Geriner was working with the second team offense while Robby Ashford, who started a majority of Auburn's game last season, was with the third team.
Which team each quarterback was working with should likely not be heavily examined as head coach Hugh Freeze explained before practice started that each quarterback would work equally with each team for the first days of fall camp.
"We have a really good plan of the rotation between those three guys, and they're all gonna rotate for the first five practices pretty evenly among the ones, twos and threes. And we'll evaluate all those reps and then kind of recalibrate," Freeze said.
Freeze was asked specifically about Thorne prior to practice and explained what he's seen from the newcomer so far.
“It’s impossible for you not to visit with Payton because he demands it,” Freeze said. “My phone every day, ‘hey coach, you have any free time today? Hey coach, you have any free time?’ I love that about him. I feel very comfortably with who he is, his leadership, his desire and his preparation, his football IQ, but you got to make plays. I haven’t seen that yet and truthfully, I’m excited about the competition between he, Robby and Holden.”
Referring to the quarterback battle, Freeze said the team will have a starting quarterback for the Tigers' opening game against UMass, but it could take a few weeks into the season to completely settle on one.
After the UMass game, Auburn plays at California and then is back at home to play in-state Samford.
"It may be three games into the season before we really know this is absolutely the guy we gotta roll with when it's crunch time," Freeze said. "I hope it's not that, but it could be."
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Jacob Waters is a senior majoring in journalism. From Leeds, Alabama, he started with The Plainsman in August, 2021.
Twitter: @JacobWaters_
