Auburn could bring new face to multi-quarterback system

The Auburn football coaching staff could be introducing a new face to the multi-quarterback system they’ve been utilizing all season, he being redshirt freshman Holden Geriner, and dropped hints on November 6.

“I think Holden had one heck of a week last week,” Freeze said to reporters on Monday of Arkansas week (h/t 247Sports). “And he can really spin it, and he’s probably one that — I think he’s got a bright future.”

It wasn’t just the coaching staff who praised Geriner. Starting quarterback Payton Thorne, who has seemingly solidified his spot at the top of the totem pole with a pair of 200-plus-all-purpose-yard showings, also chimed in on the Tigers’ long-time QB3.

“He got a good amount of reps more than usual this week, and I thought he did a good job with that,” Thorne prefaced before saying, “He’s done a good job being consistent all year.”

Auburn football QB Robby Ashford out of favor with Tigers coaching staff

There were unconfirmed but prevalent whispers ahead of the Vanderbilt game that Robby Ashford had fallen out of favor with the coaching staff; potentially due to disagreements with Freeze being in charge instead of Cadillac Williams.

November 4’s Thorne-only afternoon in Nashville under center for Auburn only pours fuel on that fire.

Ashford had the narrative to finish out the 2022 season under Cadillac, leading the Tigers to wins in two of their final three games and not being overmatched by an Alabama defense with draft picks all over the depth chart. Understandably, the Hoover native felt like it was his time to run the show.

But new coaches rarely ride with the guys the previous coach recruited, and Ashford was merely a victim of circumstance. While it seemed that Ashford was the superior option as Thorne was failing to reach the 100-yard passing benchmark during conference play’s opening two contests against Texas A&M and Georgia, Freeze wasn’t convinced. And that was who had to be.