On SI's Keith Cummings believes the college football-viewing public needs to carve out some sympathy for Payton Thorne -- since Hugh Freeze hasn't gone easy on him during a 2-4 Auburn football season that started with hope but is losing it rapidly week by week.
"In fairness, you have to feel particularly sorry for Thorne," Cummings prefaced before saying, "While he has certainly played his role in the Tigers’ poor start to the season, he’s routinely been the subject of Freeze’s wrath during and after games."
Thorne has improved throughout the season. He's still going to be a lightning rod as a Michigan State transfer who was meant to provide hope -- and the chance to win games immediately -- but has brought anything but. The Cal game rightfully got him benched for the New Mexico matchup but it was clear against Arkansas that Thorne is the only QB who can guide the team to wins in 2024.
It's a different SEC, though. Parity rules. Vanderbilt beat Alabama, Arkansas beat Tennessee, and Texas could be in trouble with Oklahoma and Georgia on the schedule next.
And that means the Commodores and Kentucky are anything but easy wins. Not after UK upset Ole Miss in Oxford. Ditto for a Mizzou team that just got embarrassed by Texas A&M, which is the second-to-last conference opponent before the Iron Bowl finale.
Perhaps no QB is capable of bringing AU to anything more than 4-8 or 3-9. The turnovers are too prevalent and the defense doesn't get enough timely stops to make up for it. That may be this team's ceiling if there's not a notable improvement in execution over the final six games.
Freeze won't lose his job if his team ends up 4-8, though. But that doesn't mean he's going to sit there and sunshine pump players who should be doing more.
Especially not Thorne, who only trails Jarquez Hunter in NIL valuation on the roster.
Auburn football opening up NIL cap space this offseason
Thorne and Hunter are out of eligibility, so the books are about to open up for Auburn on that front. When the payouts for Gus Malzahn and Bryan Harsin conclude, the program's spending power is about to grow exponentially.
We know a significant chunk of NIL wealth will be going to Deuce Knight. But there's plenty of other holes on the roster the redistributed spending can go to.
Perhaps a strong portal class is coming to take the pressure off a 2025 Auburn recruiting class that may not want to stick around long if they're being thrown into the fire.
AU could be in a position to afford it at least.