Source: Auburn QB to switch, start new Hank Brown

Auburn redshirt freshman quarterback Hank Brown will start for the Tigers against New Mexico on Saturday, a source confirmed to ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Friday.

Brown replaces incumbent starter Peyton Thorne after the senior passer’s program struggled in Week 2’s loss to Cal.

Brown, a former three-star passer in the Class of 2023, will make his first career start in Auburn’s 21-14 home loss to Cal last week. Thorne, who started each of the Tigers’ past 15 games, completed 14 of his 27 passes for 165 yards with a touchdown and a career-high four losses.

Auburn coach Hugh Freeze initially hinted at a possible quarterback change in his Monday news conference. He was vague about the situation late in the week but signaled his willingness to step up after the Tigers were held under 10 points by an unranked opponent for the first time since 2018.

“We were played very, very briefly as poorly as we did in that position at certain moments in that game,” Freeze said Wednesday during the SEC coaches’ teleconference.

Thorne transferred to Auburn from Michigan State in 2023 and completed 61.1% of his passes for 1,755 yards and 16 touchdowns in his first season with the Tigers. He threw for 322 yards and four touchdowns in Auburn’s 73-3 rout of Alabama A&M in Week 1, then sputtered against Cal with four interceptions, the most by a Tigers quarterback in a single game since Brandon Cox in the 2007 season.

Brown originally committed to the Liberty through the 2023 cycle before he pursued Auburn off the ice. He went 3-for-5 for 96 yards and two touchdowns in limited action in the Tigers’ season opener. Brown completed seven of his nine passes for 132 yards against Maryland in last season’s Music City Bowl.

The Tigers will dive into conference play with a visit from Arkansas in Week 4 when Auburn hosts New Mexico on Saturday at 7:30 pm ET on ESPN2.

On3.com first reported the news on Friday.