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Hugh Freeze on Auburn QB1’s mobility: ‘He’s not Robby Ashford’

By Andrew Hughes

Coach Hugh Freeze spoke on his choice for Auburn football QB1 -- and complimented his backup, Robby Ashford, in the process Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Coach Hugh Freeze spoke on his choice for Auburn football QB1 -- and complimented his backup, Robby Ashford, in the process Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports /
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Hugh Freeze commented on the mobility of Auburn football QB1 Payton Thorne while speaking with SEC Network analyst Greg McElroy — complimenting Robby Ashford in the process. It started out with McElroy comparing Thorne to a Chad Kelly or, to a lesser extent, a Bo Wallace, two former Freeze quarterbacks at Ole Miss.

“I really like his game,” McElroy said (h/t AL.com). “I think he throws a nice ball, a catchable ball and is a cerebral player. Understands how he fits and understands, maybe, his own physical limitations and is very self aware. I was looking back kinda of your days back at Ole Miss the last time you were in the league. You know, comparable in skillset, in competitiveness to a Bo Wallace or to a Chad Kelly. Seems like he kinda fits that mold?” Freeze responded by saying Thorne is more Kelly than Wallace, but he’s also no Ashford on the ground.

“I think that’s a really good comparison,” Freeze prefaced before saying, “He’s gonna run better than you give him credit for. I think people will be shocked that he does some good things with his legs when he needs to. He’s not Robby (Ashford), but he is very similar to Chad (Kelly) in the fact that I think he runs a little better than Bo (Wallace) and about as good as Chad (Kelly).”

Auburn football QB Robby Ashford ‘will always have a package’ in Tigers offense

Ashford’s wheels are so respected by Freeze that the head coach promised that No. 9 would “always have a package” in the offense.

“Robby, he will always have a package,” said AU coach Hugh Freeze. “If he handles all of this the right way, he will always have a package because he has an element to us that’s just a little different.”

Freeze being willing to utilize two quarterbacks with varying skillsets shows that though the Tigers may be at a talent disparity often in SEC West competition during the 2023 season, not to mention the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry game, the head coach will do whatever it takes to circumvent it with creative game-planning.

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