Auburn QB Speaks With Media As Fall Camp Continues

Payton Thorne didn't have the 2023 season he probably wanted for himself. He posted middling numbers in his 4th season playing college football, accounting for only 1755 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. In an interview with Auburn Undercover, Thorne said he was mainly just trying to move on from the previous season, noting that so much of the team is dramatically different now that there's not much to learn from further studying it.

Auburn's starting quarterback is certainly right about one thing, the 2024 football team bears little resemblance to the 2023 squad. A wave of new talent has entered the building from all sides, much of it very young. That said, he's excited about his new arsenal and closer attention to the offense on the part of Hugh Freeze, Derrick Nix, and Kent Austin.

Members of On To Victory, Auburn's NIL collective, were invited to watch Auburn scrimmage in Jordan-Hare Stadium, and Thorne wanted to temper expectations about a day that saw some highlights and frustrations. He mentions that it's tempting to compare it to a real game environment, but it's important to understand that it isn't, and that Auburn doesn't gameplan to play itself.

One of the highlights of Saturday's action was true freshman receiver Malcolm Simmons, who caught two touchdowns during the scrimmage and flashed impressive speed and ability to get high up to catch the ball. Thorne said of the whole receiving unit, "Got a lot of guys who can run in that room."

Thorne would be asked later on about the offseason sensation that has been Cam Coleman, and mentioned a former teammate and NFL receiver in comparison to his Skillset. When asked about the craziest catch he'd seen Cam Coleman make, he talked about working with him in the summer, and said he thinks Cam might be able to jump higher than Keon Coleman, who now plays with the Buffalo Bills. Thorne remarked on a number of ways in which the two players are similar, with Keon being bigger and Cam being slightly faster.