Holden Geriner has shockingly emerged as a legitimate Auburn football starting quarterback option during the 2023 season — with The War Rapport’s Mike Gittens dialing up meteoric hype by listing him at the top of his QB depth chart.
Based on what I've gathered I'd rank the QB room
— Mike G. (@mikegittens) August 12, 2023
1. Holden
2. Robby
3. Thorne
This can change rapidly but this is more of a competition than most expected. Freeze said he had his mind somewhat made up yesterday and now he has to go to the tape.#auburnfootball @thewarrapport
“Based on what I’ve gathered I’d rank the QB room: No. 1. Holden, No. 2. Robby, No. 3. Thorne,” Gittens prefaced before saying, “This can change rapidly but this is more of a competition than most expected. Freeze said he had his mind somewhat made up yesterday and now he has to go to the tape.” Hugh Freeze did say exactly this.
“Yesterday, I had my mind made up,” Freeze said (h/t AL.com). “And after today, I need to watch the film before I say.”
Hugh Freeze on what he’s looking for in Auburn football quarterback in 2023
Freeze laid out on August 12 during a key Auburn football scrimmage what exactly he wanted out of his starting signal-caller during the 2023 season.
“That the ball goes in the right spot and hopefully it’s accurate when we do throw it,” Freeze said when asked what he wanted to see out of his quarterbacks Saturday. “The accuracy hopefully will come, but we’ve gotta take care of the ball and we’ve have to be playing in the right space on given plays in our offense and I thought all three did that fairly well today.”
Evidently, Geriner is best delivering on that promise as of this point — a shocker considering Payton Thorne was the team’s biggest offseason get via the transfer portal. Even Robby Ashford, the incumbent starter who didn’t have Freeze feeling confident enough in the QB position, is outplaying the Michigan State import.
Where this battle goes is anyone’s guess. Thorne is by far the least experienced in the Tigers offense and could get himself up to speed by Week 1; or during Week 1, since UMass will likely be down double-digits heading into the second quarter and multiple options will get a chance to prove themselves.