Auburn football's Hugh Freeze wants QB choices down to two within 10 days of fall camp
NASHVILLE — When it comes to Auburn football's quarterback situation, coach Hugh Freeze would like the running down to two players fairly quickly.
"Look, (redshirt freshman QB) Hank Brown I love. He can make every throw," Freeze said at SEC Media Days on Tuesday. "But realistically, you can’t get four kids reps in camp. So it’s probably going to be those other three for the first 10 days, trying to get enough reps to where we get it down to at least two guys and then move from there."
The three in contention: redshirt freshman Holden Geriner, incumbent starter Robby Ashford and Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne.
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Ashford claimed the position last season, logging 1,613 passing yards and seven passing touchdowns to go along with 710 yards and another seven scores on the ground.
Thorne, a junior from Naperville, Illinois, has appeared in 29 career games, throwing for nearly 6,500 yards and logging 55 total touchdowns.
“I’m an optimist,” Freeze said. “We’ve been able to do things with quarterbacks everywhere we’ve been and produce good enough results to win”
Freeze noted that competition among Ashford, Thorne and Geriner is good.
“I haven’t coached (them) a single practice yet, so it would be unfair for me to act like I knew where everybody stood,” Freeze said.
With Thorne, Freeze was impressed by the QB’s attention to detail, his desire to learn the systems and his leadership skills.
“One of the first questions he asked me (was) could I get someone to get a picture of everyone that works in the building and their name because he wants to know their name,” Freeze said. “He’s just got some intrinsic things about him that you really like that I know is going to enhance that room.”
For Ashford, Freeze said they’ve been challenging him since he has been part of the program.
“On great teams, you’re never going to be the only guy that should be competing,” Freeze said. “Hopefully he handles it well, because I do think Robby Ashford helps us win football games.”
Reach sports writer Jerry Jiang at JJiang@gannett.com or on Twitter @j_jiang30
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze wants two Tigers quarterbacks soon
