Head coach Hugh Freeze talks transfer quarterbacks and hitting the portal
Now that the regular season is over for the Auburn football time, it's officially portal season. The winter transfer portal window begins on December 9—in just three days—and ends on December 28. The Tigers have multiple needs in the portal, but the most clear and obvious one is a quarterback.
Two-year starter Payton Thorne is officially out of eligibility, and Holden Geriner has entered the transfer portal, leaving Hank Brown and Walker White as Auburn's remaining scholarship quarterbacks alongside incoming true freshman Deuce Knight.
Since arriving on the Plains, head coach Hugh Freeze has been adamant that he will have four scholarship quarterbacks every year. There is absolutely no doubt the Tigers will be looking for a big-ticket QB in the portal, and it's even possible they look to take two. There were rumbles that Brown may be looking to transfer out, which would leave an additional scholarship on the table.
Last year, Freeze made a point of explaining that the Tigers were hesitant to pay an outrageous amount of money for a quarterback, but after this year's struggles at the position they will have to be more aggressive in bringing in a capable, experienced quarterback. But it's about more than talent and ability for Freeze.
"We will be looking for who is the best fit for that extra spot," Freeze said at his signing day press conference, per Auburn Undercover, and went on to say that he believes Deuce Knight's ceiling is higher than any other QB he has previously worked with. Still, starting in the SEC is a tall task for a true freshman, especially on a team that is desperate to get back to winning games.
The portal will officially open on Monday, and we can expect Auburn football to quickly set up visits with priority prospects.