It's May, but the transfer portal is still kicking up in high gear. One big domino has fallen, and former Michigan State QB Payton Thorne has decided to head to the Auburn Tigers, per Thorne's Twitter account.
WAR. DAMN. EAGLE. 🦅 Thank You Lord! @AuburnFootball pic.twitter.com/3GqFvWhP75
— Payton Thorne (@payton15thorne) May 5, 2023
Thorne entered the portal alongside a couple of other Michigan State players recently, and now he ends up with the Tigers in a massive get. Auburn QB TJ Finley also entered the portal, so the Tigers getting a signal-caller made sense by all means.
Thorne played three years in East Lansing, and he was the starter for the past two seasons. In 2022, Thorne threw for 2,679 yards with 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. A year before, he threw for 3,232 yards with 27 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, so the talent is there for Thorne to be a productive QB.
The Spartans went just 5-7 this season with a 3-6 Big Ten record, and losing Thorne is a big blow to them. The Tigers have had a busy offseason, including hiring Hugh Freeze as the head coach following Bryan Harsin's unfortunate end to his tenure with the team.
The Tiers also finished 5-7 last year with a 2-6 SEC record, which is not encouraging considering how good the program has been for the past couple of decades.
Hugh Freeze is in, and now Payton Thorne is in at quarterback for a team that desperately needs a facelift. The hype around the Auburn football program should be back in full force. Robby Ashford, Holdern Geriner and true freshman Hank Brown are all on the roster at the position, but there is no question Payton Thorne should enter as the presumed starter.