Hugh Freeze, Auburn’s head coach, informed reporters on Friday morning that he and his offensive staff were close to deciding who will back up Payton Thorne as the Tigers’ backup quarterback.
And on Monday evening, at the inaugural Tiger Talk radio program of the season, Freeze fulfilled his promise by identifying redshirt freshman quarterback Hank Brown as Auburn’s second-string quarterback heading into the season opener.
“Hank will be the primary backup,” Freeze explained. “He’s just, when you grade all the reps, man, he’s been throwing the football pretty well throughout camp. “He has thrown some really good balls.”
Brown played in only one game as a true freshman last fall, taking snaps late in Auburn’s Music City Bowl loss over Maryland.
In his bowl game outing, Brown went 7-for-9 for 132 yards.
Brown was ranked a three-star quarterback after graduating from Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, where he played under current UAB head coach Trent Dilfer.
Brown helped lead Lipscomb Academy to a perfect 13-0 season and the Tennessee D2-AA state championship in 2022.
Brown tossed for 3,264 yards and 47 touchdowns as a high school senior, completing 73.3% of his passes.
Brown knocked out redshirt sophomore Holden Geriner and true freshman Walker White for the QB2 position.
“The other two, I think, can both play,” Freeze added of Geriner and White.
