Reacting to 4 SEC starting quarterback choices, from Payton Thorne to Carson Beck | Toppmeyer
Hugh Freeze tempered expectations more than a decade ago after he selected a transfer quarterback to start his first game as Ole Miss’ coach.
“We'll see how he'll do,” Freeze said back in 2012.
Bo Wallace, the transfer, set a higher bar.
“I plan on scoring every drive," Wallace said then.
Wallace completed more than 80% of his passes in his debut, and Ole Miss nearly doubled its scoring output from the previous season. Wallace maintained the job throughout three seasons, while the Rebels ascended under Freeze.
Now at Auburn, Freeze inherited a situation not all that unlike what he found at Ole Miss. The Tigers were woeful on offense last season. Stagnant quarterback performance became a lead weight. Freeze will try an old move: Bring in a transfer. Start the transfer.
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Freeze, once again, is tempering expectations. My expectation is that AU’s offense will improve in Freeze’s first season with quarterback Payton Thorne, but not to the level Ole Miss’ did with Wallace.
Auburn is one of four SEC schools to clarify its quarterback situation within the past week. Here’s what I think of those coaching decisions.
Auburn
The choice: Payton Thorne named starter.
My reaction: I like it.
Thorne played to the level of his surrounding talent while Michigan State’s starter. He performed well in 2021, when the Spartans featured a quality supporting cast. His production regressed in 2022, along with the rest of the team. That suggests Thorne’s individual ability to transform an offense is limited, but if he receives enough support, he’s not an anchor, either.
Thorne’s a better passer than previous starter Robby Ashford. Auburn can benefit from Ashford’s athleticism, though, and Thorne winning the job frees up Ashford to be a gadget guy.
Freeze said Thorne’s leadership, grasp of the offense and decision-making allowed him to separate from redshirt freshman Holden Geriner, but Thorne’s decision-making must improve from what he showed at Michigan State. He threw 24 interceptions the past three seasons. Freeze said Thorne made “two really bad decisions” in a scrimmage Saturday, amid an otherwise solid day.
Florida
The choice: Graham Mertz named starter.
My reaction: Meh.
If Mertz is as good as it gets for a Florida quarterback this season – he probably is – that’s an indictment on UF. He struggled throughout three seasons as Wisconsin’s starter, totaling 26 interceptions. He hasn’t topped a 60% completion rate for a season since 2020.
Say this for Mertz: He’s experienced and plenty motivated, and he’s taken a liking to coach Billy Napier’s offense.
“One thing I truly love about this offense is there's always an answer,” Mertz said.
Mertz was a high-profile prospect when he signed with Wisconsin. That feels so long ago. More recently, he was a Badgers quarterback with a defined ceiling.
Can a change of scenery spark him? He sounds confident about that idea. I’m not, but he’s Florida’s best option.
Georgia
The choice: Carson Beck named starter.
My reaction: I really like it.
You didn’t really think coach Kirby Smart was going to choose a starting quarterback who’s never completed a pass in a college game, did you? Earlier this month, noise out of Georgia suggested Beck hadn’t locked up the starting job and that Brock Vandagriff nipped at his heels.
Smart cleared up that hyperbole by making a decision that seemed obvious five months ago: Beck will go from experienced backup to starter, a natural line of progression for a coach who relishes quarterback experience even more than most.
Beck isn’t cut from the mold of Stetson Bennett IV, who was a barrel of moxie and an athletic scrambler. Beck is a prototypical drop-back pocket passer. His accuracy and comfort in Georgia’s system rank among his strengths. Think Jake Fromm but with a stronger arm.
Combine Beck with Georgia’s stocked cupboard of complementary weapons, and this offense should keep humming.
Missouri
The choice: Prolonging the competition between Brady Cook and Sam Horn. Both will play in Week 1.
My reaction: I like it.
Missouri’s defense returned enough talent for the Tigers to be a thorny opponent, but MU must receive more from its quarterback to finish in the top half of the East. Brady Cook is 6-8 as Missouri’s starter. He’s gritty, and he’s mobile, but he’s shown limitations in his ability to stretch a defense, and he’s coming off offseason surgery.
Rather than commit to another season with Cook, coach Eli Drinkwitz is extending the competition between his returning starter and redshirt freshman Sam Horn.
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“Let the play on the field decide it,” Drinkwitz said.
Missouri’s schedule allows for that. The Tigers open against FCS South Dakota and won’t play an SEC game until Week 5.
As important as this decision is to Missouri’s season, there’s no reason to rush. Committing to playing two quarterbacks in early September is a wise call.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's SEC Columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Reacting to SEC starting quarterback choices, Payton Thorne to Carson Beck
