Auburn football star Robby Ashford isn’t afraid of a little competition to be the team’s starting quarterback. In fact, Ashford is seemingly embracing the news that quarterback Payton Thorne is transferring from Michigan State to join the Auburn football team. The two signal callers are expected to compete for the starting job for the 2023 college football season.
Robby Ashford started 12 games under center for the Auburn football team last season. Thorne was a two-year starter at Michigan State.
“Iron sharpens iron!” said Ashford in a tweet upon Thorne’s Auburn transfer announcement.
Let’s work. Iron sharpens iron!! War Eagle
— Robby Ashford (@robby_ashford) May 5, 2023
Based on their production during the 2022 season, Thorne should be considered the clear favorite to be Auburn’s starting quarterback in 2023. The former Spartans’ quarterback completed 62.5% of his passes for 2,679 yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. In the 2021 season, Thorne had 27 touchdown passes and just 10 interceptions.
Ashford put up pedestrian passing numbers in 2022. Auburn’s starter completed a meager 49.2% of his attempts for 1,613 yards. Ashford had seven touchdown passes and seven interceptions.
Ashford gives Auburn a running threat that Payne doesn’t provide. Ashford had 710 rushing yards and seven scores on 153 attempts a season ago. Payne picked up just 42 yards on the ground.
Auburn is coming off a disappointing 5-7 campaign. The Tigers failed to play in a bowl game for the first time in a decade. Auburn fired head coach Bryan Harsin during his second season of a six-year contract.
New coach Hugh Freeze will look to turn the program around in 2023. The Tigers won at least eight games in six of seven seasons from 2013-2019.
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