Payton Thorne’s departure from Auburn abruptly ended a significant yet controversial chapter for both the player and the program. His contributions on the field and in the locker room were non-negotiable. But Thorne, in the Tigers’ offense carries a guilt that soaks in a lackluster 5-8 record in 2024. In three crucial home game losses in September, even the ones against unranked opponents, the QB1 certainly had a role to play. Remember that gusty Georgia game when Hugh Freeze looked visibly pissed off on the sidelines after a failed fourth-down attempt in the fourth quarter! That pretty well summarizes the Thorne-Freeze equation later in the season.
Thorne faced the media and cleared the clutter later. He said that there have been unusual circumstances in the coach-QB communication during the play. Usually, in the other games, Thorne stands near the coach or the assistant quarterback coach to learn about their ideas and incorporate them accordingly. But that day, he stood with his boys. He didn’t carry a headset to hear from his coaches either, and that ultimately turned out to be the blunder. Auburn lost the game 31-13, falling to 2-4 on the season back then.
This was enough to spark a debate over Thorne’s capability to handle the starting job for another year. After all, Hugh Freeze couldn’t risk another futile season. In November, Freeze pulled the rug and announced his departure. It’s not that Thorne has done something extremely wrong, but he couldn’t win big games when it mattered the most. But it’s not just on the QB1. Freeze self-actualized to the point that he put the blame on an overall faulty offensive strategy. “I kind of lost a little on Payton, and I blamed myself for some of Payton’s deals publicly. Our roster didn’t look exactly like the elite yet last year, the year before. But the reality is we still could have won four games, four more games.” Freeze owned up to truth during an appearance in the Coca-Cola room at the Regions Tradition: “All right if we’re better in critical downs, and we don’t turn it over, and we make field goals, and that’s reality.”
Now, the ball is in Jackson Arnold’s court, and dwelling on the past won’t really help. The Tigers need to bounce back and win. The ceiling is the Bowl game, at the very least. Their schedule isn’t a gauntlet at all. But they need to be wary of Vanderbilt and Missouri late in the season. The off-season lesson? Of course, the roster building, a good holistic watch over all the position groups, and a rigorous and confident practice.
“I’ve studied it in depth, and so we, as coaches, have to look at all of that. And I think one of the things I’ve always believed, this and I kind of got away from this, but practice. And I think this hurt Jackson is probably in Oklahoma. I will not let that happen to him here.” The Tigers coach pledged big on his new QB safety, “and I love DJ Durkin and all that. But the number one priority of practice is that your quarterback ought to leave practice confident.
While Freeze has some promises to deliver to his QB1, he demands some as well. It will be a thing to see if Arnold can stand tall.
Hugh Freeze set the bar higher for Jackson Arnold
Freeze doesn’t appreciate much of a battle in his QB room in 2025. He has dropped the name of his QB1. Pretty straight and clear. He has made it clear that he wants the Oklahoma transfer to feel confident in his role, but not without a competitive streak. Competition boosts confidence, and Freeze, hence, doesn’t want to get rid of that element yet.
He finds Ashton Daniels and Deuce Knight equally impressive during the spring practices. And he wants Arnold, especially to look at them and get on his toes to be ahead of them. In two seasons with the Sooners, Arnold completed 62.9% of his passes for 1,984 yards. He threw 16 touchdowns to six interceptions and added another 560 yards and four touchdowns on the ground. However, his confidence issues somehow contributed to some tough performances riddled with frequent turnovers and fumbles.
But the Tigers’ depth chart can hopefully make things better for him, but not without pressure. “We could have won some games last year. And we’ve got to find a way to make sure we’re excellent. In those areas that cost us those,” Freeze didn’t just come here to settle for less again. “They should put us in a position to be at least bowl-eligible, if not more, and I see no reason why we shouldn’t do that, and I think that’s an expectation that our people should expect.” Arnold’s first-year ceiling is high. Now, it’s yet to be seen if his forte is higher.
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