Every Tuesday right here you can read The Auburn Corner, where we’ll get into a different topic on the Auburn Tigers, break down the previous game, preview the upcoming game, and everything in between.
In this week’s edition, the transfer portal is heating up, and by all accounts, it sounds like Hugh Freeze wants to bring in a new quarterback by dipping into the transfer portal once again. If that ends up being the case, who could that be and what would it mean for the current situation on The Plains?
Auburn brought in Payton Thorne during Freeze’s first offseason from Michigan State, albeit late in the process, to be the starting quarterback. And it would be fair to say that the Thorne experiment did not work out. While he showed some rare flashes of being the guy Auburn thought it was getting, overall inconsistent play and often an inability to throw the ball plagued the Tiger offense this season.
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Thorne did seem to improve as the season went on, so while running it back does not seem impossible, it does feel unlikely that Freeze will not at least bring someone in.
There are some names that have been thrown out in the scenario that Auburn brings someone in, with none better than Washington State transfer Cameron Ward. This one feels unlikely, however, as Ward will be one of the most coveted players in the portal and has a visit to Miami this week.
Riley Leonard, a Fairhope, Alabama native and former Duke star was also seen as a candidate before committing to Notre Dame today.
Dante Moore of UCLA is another star, but also someone who Auburn will have to fend off many suitors for.
Someone who feels like a natural fit is Coastal Carolina’s Grayson McCall, who likely would have been an Auburn Tiger last year in the portal before academic issues with his credits got in the way. Although former coach Gus Malzahn and UCF appear to have been courting McCall as well.
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One more interesting name to watch is James Madison transfer Jordan McCloud. McCloud had a huge season for the Dukes, throwing 3,413 yards and 32 touchdowns with just 9 interceptions in an 11-1 year in the Sun Belt.
Portal season is heating up, and Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers appear to be squarely in the mix for a new quarterback. Keep an eye on all of these guys as December rolls along.
Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP
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