Hank Brown named starter ahead of Auburn's matchup with New Mexico

Hugh Freeze has made a change at quarterback, announcing Friday that redshirt freshman Hank Brown will get the start against New Mexico this weekend, per 247Sports. 

This announcement comes six days after a disastrous performance by senior quarterback Payton Thorne, who threw four interceptions in Auburn’s 21-14 loss to Cal last Saturday, two of which were in the final 2:15 of regulation. The fifth-year captain went 14-for-27, passing for just 165 yards against the Golden Bears, also adding one rushing touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. 

The offense never got into a rhythm despite a solid ground attack from running back Jarquez Hunter. Auburn had minimal success through the air following the Tigers’ impressive 75-yard opening TD drive, leaving fans, and Freeze, questioning whether or not Thorne is the guy for the job.

“It’s really hard for me to not play a young man that has consistently been the best performer in practice,” Freeze said regarding the quarterback situation in Monday’s press conference. “Having said that, you have to carry that over into the games…Sometimes adjustments have to be made, and if that continues, we may have to go a different direction.”

It appears Freeze and his staff have decided to change directions prior to Auburn’s matchup with New Mexico, something that Freeze has been hinting at all week. 

“Hank will definitely get his share of reps this week,” Freeze said when asked if the team could see a quarterback change. “Could [the quarterback situation change]? Yes. Do I think I want to see how the week goes before I really decide that? Yes.”

Freeze also mentioned that he sat down with both Thorne and Brown, individually, at the beginning of the week to go through and evaluate film. Furthermore, he said the offensive playbook will be smaller moving forward.

Interestingly, the history between Brown and Freeze stems beyond their time on the Plains. Brown, initially rated a three-star quarterback according to Rivals, was originally committed to Liberty apart of the 2023 recruiting cycle, where Freeze spent four seasons as the head man. He then followed Freeze to Auburn and signed with the Tigers in December 2022.

The 6-foot-4 Nashville native will experience his first career start on Saturday, but Auburn remembers his outstanding performance at the conclusion of last season. 

Brown was one of the few bright spots in Maryland’s beatdown of the Tigers in the 2023 Transperfect Music City Bowl. Although Auburn fell 31-13, he completed seven of nine passes for 132 yards, including a 53-yard bomb to Caleb Burton III, which eventually led to the team’s second touchdown of the game – with 6:53 remaining in the fourth quarter. He offered a spark to the offense that hadn’t been there all day.

The talent Brown displayed in his single appearance in 2023 undoubtably carried over to Auburn's season opener against Alabama A&M. In the game for just a couple of drives, he recorded 96 yards and two touchdowns on three completions – those touchdowns courtesy of wide receivers Sam Jackson V and standout freshman Malcolm Simmons. This strong showing against the Bulldogs came shortly after being named the backup to Thorne to start the 2024 season.

This is an intriguing time surrounding Auburn football; Brown’s performance on Saturday will likely affect the outlook of the rest of the season. New Mexico is a sneaky, gritty team that is thirsty for its first win after losing to Montana State and Arizona. The Lobos are giving up 48 points per game in their first two outings – good for third-most behind Akron and Jacksonville State.

The eyes of Auburn fans will be on the freshman quarterback and the Tigers as they take on the New Mexico Lobos at 6:30p.m. CST in Jordan-Hare Stadium. The game will be televised on ESPN2.