Auburn pursuit of Will Howard considered a play for more depth

When discussing Hugh Freeze’s Auburn football program’s pursuit of Kansas State transfer Will Howard, who entered the transfer portal on November 27, On3’s Pete Nakos framed it differently than Washington, Louisville, Mizzou, and Kentucky’s — for AU, Howard would be a depth play.

“According to the source, Washington, Louisville, Mizzou, Kentucky and Auburn will all be schools to watch as possible landing spots,” Nakos wrote. “With Michael Penix leaving for the NFL draft, the Huskies are widely considered buyers in the transfer portal market. The same goes for Louisville and Kentucky, losing Jack Plummer and Devin Leary, respectively.

“Brady Cook has the option to enter the NFL draft, too. He’s led Mizzou to a 10-2 mark this year, throwing for 3,189 yards, 20 touchdowns and six interceptions. Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze has been open about adding depth at the quarterback position.”

Payton Thorne emerges from Auburn football QB room in 2023 as only potential starter currently on depth chart

Auburn fans could perhaps take this news as a pure endorsement of Payton Thorne, who went through a brutal stretch against Texas A&M, Georgia, LSU, and Ole Miss — in which he broke 40 QBR in just one game — only to emerge as a QB who was perfectly equipped to take down Alabama during an eventual heartbreaking 27-24 loss as a game-manager who got the ball to his running backs.

But should Thorne be endorsed to such a degree? The Naperville, Illinois native had four games where he didn’t break 100 yards passing. He was great against Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas, but was helpless against the top defenses in the conference.

That he’s the only QB Freeze sees as starting material is problematic, but it’s certainly an opportunity for incoming 2024 recruit Walker White to break the glass ceiling in his first year in Auburn.

And it’s also an opportunity for a QB like Howard to be more than just a depth play.