Analyst sides with Cal QB for snubbing Auburn transfer ahead of Week 2
Cal quarterback Sam Jackson V snubbed Auburn football quarterback Payton Thorne, his former teammate at Naperville Central High School in Chicago after the Michigan State transfer reached out to him ahead of their Week 2 matchup. AthlonSports’ Kevin Borba sees where Jackson was coming from, claiming that all things are off the table when competition is involved.
“Friendship is one of the best things that we have in this life, but when competition is involved all things are off the table,” Borba wrote. “Something we learned was the case on Friday when Cal quarterback Sam Jackson V told reporters ahead of their matchup with Auburn that he ignored a message from Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne.”
Thorne, who ran the first-team for the Tigers until the team got into the red zone — opening up the floodgates for Redzone Robby to score three touchdowns to cap off Thorne’s drives — can have the last laugh by leading AU to a predicted victory at California Memorial Stadium.
What Cal’s Sam Jackson V said about snubbing Auburn football QB Payton Thorne
Jackson took no personal shots at Thorne, but he did make it clear why he didn’t find time to respond to his former Naperville teammate.
“It’s game week…it’s not a rivalry game because this is the first time we’re playing Auburn but like, I don’t think there should be any communication between me and you, bro,” Jackson said on September 8.
“It’s game week…it’s not a rivalry game because this is the first time we’re playing Auburn but like, I don’t think there should be any communication between me and you, bro.” Cal QB Sam Jackson on why he ignored a text from Payton Thorne (his HS teammate)@AuburnFootball… pic.twitter.com/f5qB9DhkZe
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) September 8, 2023
That’s fine. It’s certainly not the unwarranted potshot Cal running back Jaydn Ott took at the Tigers.
“There’s a lot of focus on the name Auburn,” Ott prefaced before saying, “But what I see on film is not really in comparison to what their name is. I just want to get that into my guys’ heads that a name doesn’t mean anything.”
Cal RB Jaydn Ott: "There's a lot of focus on the name Auburn. But what I see on film is not really in comparison to what their name is. I just want to get that into my guys' heads that a name doesn't mean anything."
— Nathan King (@NathanKing247) September 6, 2023
Auburn certainly has all the bulletin board material for their matchup with Cal, and luckily hasn’t provided any to the Golden Bears in return during a tepid buildup, besides the warring fanbases on Twitter at least, to this Week 2 matchup.