NCAAF How does Payton Thorne’s QBR stack up with fellow SEC quarterbacks?
Through two games, quarterback Payton Thorne has not had an opportunity to unleash his full potential.
Hugh Freeze brought in Thorne from Michigan State to lead the offense, but he has not earned Freeze’s full trust to this point in the season. Freeze has rotated Thorne and Robby Ashford at the position, with neither doing enough to take the starter role for themselves.
How has Thorne performed compared to other SEC quarterbacks entering week three? College Sports Wire breaks it down.
College Sports Wire’s Ryan Haley shared his take on SEC quarterbacks based on ESPN’s QBR. Thorne checks in at No. 9 this week with a rating of 63.4. Why is his rating so low? Haley explains.
Thorne has attempted the fewest passes (31) and thrown for the fewest yards (235) of any starter in the SEC through two weeks, but ESPN contests volume is not the only way to measure impact.
In Week 2 on the road against California, Thorne threw for 94 yards on 14 attempts, but he threw for both of Auburn’s scores in the 14-10 victory, including the eventual game-winner to tight end Rivaldo Fairweather in the final quarter.
The former Michigan State starter did attempt more than 380 passes in each of his last two seasons with the Spartans, so time will tell if Freeze lets his quarterback air it out a little more as the season progresses.
Through two full weeks of action, Texas A&M’s Conner Weigman leads the SEC in QBR with 89.5. Quarterbacks such as Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, Alabama‘s Jalen Milroe, and South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler are ahead of Thorne, while Georgia‘s Carson Beck, Tennessee‘s Joe Milton, and Florida‘s Graham Mertz trail behind.
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