NASHVILLE, Tenn. – As Auburn began practicing for the TransPerfect Music City Bowl in mid-December, coach Hugh Freeze made it clear that Jordan-Hare Stadium will remain Payton's place in 2024.
"We have one of the top returning quarterbacks in Power Five with wins," said Freeze of Thorne's 22 victories as a starter at Michigan State and Auburn from 2021-23. "I think our quarterback room is going to be fine next year. That is my belief. It's what drives me to get the right pieces around them.
"I believe in Payton. I believe in Holden [Geriner], I believe in Hank and I believe in [incoming freshman Walker White]. In year one of the transfer quarterback world, who set the woods on fire? Year two, there's a few. That's my expectation for Payton or Holden, whoever wins it."
Showcasing his dual-threat ability, Thorne has completed a career-best 62.6 percent of his passes this season for 1,671 yards and 15 touchdowns while adding 524 yards rushing, 10th in program history for single-season quarterback rushing yards.
"I really enjoy playing for Coach Freeze," Thorne said. "I'm excited for what the future's going to hold. I'm excited for where we're heading."
During Auburn's three consecutive SEC wins over Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Arkansas, Thorne threw for eight touchdowns and 587 yards.
"You got a glimpse of what we could be," Thorne said. "It still wasn't perfect. We could still be a lot better than what we were and I think that's what we're going to be next year. I think we're going to clean things up a lot and it's going to be a lot better for all of us."
Auburn signed four elite in-state receivers on Dec. 20, five-star recruits Cam Coleman from Phenix City and Perry Thompson from Foley, along with Mobile's Bryce Cain and Alexander City's Malcolm Simmons.
"I think they're ready to work," Thorne said. "They're hungry. A lot of times the really talented guys are very hungry to learn and get rolling. No matter how great somebody is, they're still freshmen. They're going to have to learn quickly and I'm sure they will. It's my job to teach them as much as I can and help them out as much as I can."
At Michigan State, Thorne threw to current NFL receivers Jalen Nailor and Jayden Reed, along with projected 2024 first-rounder Keon Coleman.
"I've had success with really good receivers before," he said. "They've helped me. I feel like I've helped them as well in their journey."
Passing to game-changers, naturally, changes the game, says Thorne.
"It opens up shots down the fields and receptions," he said. "When you've got guys who can make plays downfield, that's huge. The data shows that when you get chunk plays in both the run and pass games, your chance of winning goes up.
"It helps your confidence to go ahead and launch one down there to know there's a good chance he's coming down with this.
"I feel like I've played with two of the best 50-50 ballers out there in Jayden Reed and Keon Coleman. I think these guys coming in are going to have the opportunity to do that. I'm excited to move forward with those guys and the guys who are coming back as well. We'll get a full offseason together."
Hunting for improvement: Payton Thorne expects to benefit from spring practice in 2024
Since he arrived at Auburn last summer, Thorne did not have the luxury of spring practice, something from which he expects to benefit in 2024 as he seeks to serve as extension of the Tigers' offensive staff.
"It's really important," Thorne said. "I'm looking forward to diving into it with Coach Freeze, knowing it 100 percent and being able to teach it to the receivers. That's always been a strength for me is being able to coach guys out there and, as people say, try to be another coach on the field.
"If you're a quarterback and you can coach the receivers on exactly what needs to be done, that helps a lot. We'll be doing that in January.
"I'm going to lead in a different way, a way that I've done before. It's a constant effort to try to improve in every area and that's one of them. Getting everybody on the same page and moving forward in a winning direction."
This will be Thorne's third start against Maryland. As a sophomore in 2021, he completed 22 of 30 passes for 287 yards and four touchdowns to lead then-No. 7 Michigan State to a 40-21 home victory over the Terrapins. In 2022, the Terps got the best of the Spartans 27-13 in College Park, Maryland, despite Thorne passing for 221 yards and a TD.
"I'm seeing a lot of the same stuff I've seen the last two years playing them," said Thorne of his Music City Bowl preparation. "I know they're a good team. They've played some teams really close and gotten some good wins, so go out there and execute.
"Coach Freeze is saying that with a lot of guys playing who maybe didn't get a ton of reps this year, it's exciting to see what we've got moving forward. Get some of those guys to get a feel for the game and get a chance to make their first impression."
Hoping to secure a winning record for Auburn (6-6) in his first season on the Plains, the seasoned signal-caller leads the Tigers against the Terrapins Saturday at 1 p.m. CT on ABC, hoping to end the 2023 season on a high note and generate momentum heading into 2024.
"This will be my 39th start," Thorne said. "There's not much I haven't seen in college football. I think I'm one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country and I think we've got good football ahead of us still."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
