Breakout linebacker Eugene Asante, quarterback Payton Thorne, and defensive end Keldric Faulk will represent the Auburn Tigers during their 2024 SEC Media Days with head coach Hugh Freeze. According to Justin Ferguson of the Auburn Observer, Faulk will be the first sophomore in Auburn history to represent the Tigers at the annual event.
The Tigers are looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2023 season in which they earned just three SEC victories en route to a 6-7 season and a fifth-place finish in the SEC West.
The lackluster season still earned the Tigers a bowl game berth, but they were easily handled in the 2023 Music City Bowl by Maryland, 31-13. If the Tigers are set to take a leap in 2024, what are some of the biggest questions facing head coach Freeze at SEC Media Days?
Three Most Significant Questions for Hugh Freeze at SEC Media Days
1) Can QB Payton Thorne Get Back on Track in 2024?
The Tigers need to improve quite a bit to have a successful 2024, but no area needs to improve more than the passing game. Auburn had the worst passing offense in the SEC, averaging 162.2 passing yards per game. That improvement starts with the play of QB Payton Thorne.
Thorne has demonstrated his potential against tough competition and has shown he can lead a Power Five school. In 2021, he guided Michigan State to an impressive 11-win season, throwing for 3,223 yards and 27 touchdowns, supported by standout receivers Jayden Reed and Jalen Nailor.
MORE: 2024 Auburn Tigers Depth Chart
The Tigers faithful were hopeful that Thorne would arrive in Auburn following a four-year career at Michigan State and put up similar numbers. Last season, however, was disappointing for the entire Auburn offense. The Tigers QB passed for only 1,755 yards and 16 touchdowns, along with 10 interceptions. He didn’t throw his first SEC touchdown pass until October.
If Auburn is going to finish 2024 with its first winning season since 2020, Thorne will have to show flashes of his former self and prove he can lead a team in the toughest conference in the country.
2) Can the Auburn Defense Fill in the Gaps and Improve on a Solid 2023 Campaign?
At times in 2023, the Auburn defense kept them in football games and put them in a position to stack some wins in the SEC. They allowed fewer than 30 points in nine games and conceded more than 31 points just once when LSU and Heisman-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels put up 48 points against the Tigers last October.
The Tigers’ defense put on a show against Georgia and Arkansas, holding them to just 107 and 120 rushing yards, respectively. Auburn went 1-1 in those games, narrowly falling to Georgia while dominating the Razorbacks.
But the Tigers struggled with consistency. In their 28-21 loss to Ole Miss, the Rebels ran the ball a staggering 56 times, racking up 223 yards, highlighting the Tigers’ struggles against the run.
Last season’s defensive stars, safety Jaylin Simpson and defensive lineman Marcus Harris, have moved on to the NFL, along with standout cornerbacks DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett. So how does Auburn fill those voids to take a jump as a team and put together a winning 2024 season?
The Tigers focused on strengthening their run defense by recruiting quality run-stoppers in the transfer portal. Auburn brought in five transfers for the defensive line. Nose guard Trill Carter, arriving from Texas, where he earned Honorable Mention Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, is expected to make an immediate impact. Gage Keys, a Kansas transfer, will likely secure the defensive tackle spot alongside Carter.
Coach Freeze will have to figure out who will step up for Auburn in 2024, help minimize some potent SEC offenses, and provide the Tigers’ offense with opportunities to put up enough points to win games.
3) Did Auburn Add Enough Weapons on Offense to Help QB Payton Thorne?
Cam Coleman leads a new wave of receiving talent for Auburn, which includes four freshmen and several transfers. Coleman, a five-star recruit and the No. 5 overall prospect and No. 2 ranked WR prospect in his class, is expected by coach Freeze to make an immediate impact.
The 6’3″ WR is expected to be one of the premier pass-catching threats in the country from the Freshman class.
Auburn and Thorne lacked a big-play receiving weapon last season. Adding Coleman, Penn State transfer KeAndre Lambert-Smith, and returning tight end Rivaldo Fairweather aims to elevate the passing game and help Thorne relive some of his success at Michigan State.
In the backfield, running back Jarquez Hunter remains a big-play threat, which will also help the Auburn passing game take a leap.
Freeze has been the architect of some high-powered offenses, most notably at Ole Miss and Liberty, and the Auburn faithful are expecting him to get the Tigers back to competing for SEC titles. If Auburn is going to start its return to glory in 2024, it needs a vastly improved offense, with some of its new additions emerging as big-play threats for Thorne and this Auburn offense.
SEC Media Days Schedule: Hugh Freeze, Auburn Head Coach
- Date: Thursday, July 18
- Time: 2:05 p.m. ET
- How to watch: SEC Network+
In coach Freeze’s second season, Auburn aims to return to competing for SEC titles. The schedule is more manageable than it has been in quite some time.
Auburn opens 2024 with five straight home games, as Alabama A&M is the first to visit Joran-Hare Stadium. The Tigers follow that up by hosting Cal and New Mexico in back-to-back nonconference battles before Arkansas visits Auburn to open SEC play.
With quarterback Thorne surrounded by an improved supporting cast and a more organized system, the offense is expected to sustain drives and stay on the field longer than in 2023. Auburn hopes the improved offense will complement the rebuilt defense, leading to a successful 2024 campaign for Freeze and the Tigers.
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