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Source: Auburn changes quarterback and starts with newcomer Hank Brown

  • Eli Lederman, editor at ESPNSeptember 13, 2024, 4:06 p.m. ET

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      Eli Lederman covers college football and recruiting for ESPN.com. He joined ESPN in 2024 after covering the University of Oklahoma for Sellout Crowd and the Tulsa World.

Auburn redshirt freshman quarterback Hank Brown will start for the Tigers against New Mexico on Saturday, a source confirmed to ESPN's Pete Thamel on Friday.

Brown replaces incumbent starter Payton Thorne after the veteran passer struggled in the program's loss to Cal in Week 2.

Brown, a former three-star passer in the Class of 2023, will make his first career start following Auburn's 21-14 home loss to Cal last week. Thorne, who has started each of the Tigers' last 15 games, completed 14 of his 27 passes for 165 yards with one touchdown and a career-high four interceptions in the loss.

Auburn coach Hugh Freeze first hinted at a possible quarterback change during his press conference on Monday. Later in the week, he remained vague about the situation but hinted at a willingness to act after the Tigers were held under 10 points by an unranked opponent for the first time since 2018.

“We are very, very limited in our ability to play as poorly at that position as we did at certain moments in the game,” Freeze said Wednesday during the SEC coaches' conference call.

Thorne transferred to Auburn from Michigan State in 2023 and completed 61.1% of his passes for 1,755 yards and 16 touchdowns with 10 interceptions in his debut season with the Tigers last fall. He threw for 322 yards and four touchdowns during Auburn's 73-3 win over Alabama A&M in Week 1, then sputtered against Cal with four interceptions, the most by a Tigers quarterback in a single game since Brandon Cox during the 2007 season.

Brown originally committed to Liberty for the 2023 cycle before following Freeze to Auburn. He completed 3 of 5 passes for 96 yards and two touchdowns in limited action in the Tigers' season opener. Brown completed seven of nine passes for 132 yards against Maryland in last season's Music City Bowl.

Auburn hosts New Mexico on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN2 before the Tigers dive into conference play in Week 4 with a visit from Arkansas.

On3.com was the first to report the news on Friday.

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