Payton Thorne’s biggest mistakes seem easily fixable

As mentioned in many places, Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne holds the key to a successful season on The Plains for the offense. Looking back at the 2023 throws, one can see why Hugh Freeze has confidence in the former Michigan State transfer.

On the other hand, you can understand why skepticism arises when talking about how his 2024 season will play out. There are movies on both sides of the story. However, with positive and negative plays seemingly in balance, what can we learn from the 2023 season about Payton Thorne? How can he leverage the positives and minimize the pesky negatives?

Hyperconcentration

It’s true that approaching the game with focus and attention remains a vital part of any winning football culture. At the same time, focusing too much on one particular area will eventually hurt an offense. For example, Thorne would occasionally focus on one receiver from the start to the end of the game, failing to analyze his progressions in a timely manner.

In the game against Georgia, he was so focused on the left end that the defense sacked him easily. Every quarterback has an internal clock in his head. This helps him know when the pressure is coming and when the first defender gets his hands on Thorne. Yes, Georgia presents a formidable problem on defense.

However, if Thorne were to play against Santa Rosalita School of Carpentry and Bakery, the result wouldn’t change. The clock just needs to tick a little faster in the SEC. Trust what you see quickly and make a decision. Taking unnecessary damage doesn’t help the team. Thorne, with as much experience as any quarterback in the SEC, can easily fix this and execute better.

Getting out of trouble

While the game against Georgia highlighted some of Thorne’s weaknesses, it also showcased one of his strengths. The fact that a quarterback shredded an elite defense with ninety-two rushing yards on twelve carries speaks to his potential.

The 10/19 passes for 82 yards and one interception in the same game speak for the other side of the argument.

To be fair, Thorne did rush for 785 yards in 2023. Meanwhile, the way he gained those yards stood out. Aggressively selling the fact that he looked to keep the ball confused Georgia early on. The 61-yard run highlights what needs to be a bigger part of the offense. Now that the team appears to be fully under Thorne’s control for 2024, expect more.

Technically speaking

To his credit, Thorne has a solid frame and good arm talent. In contrast, those positives are overshadowed by mechanical issues. Imagine a quarterback like a thrower. The mechanics must be the same during every throw.

A quarterback is no different. Thorne will occasionally try to force the ball downfield without a solid foundation, leading to a jerky move. With his athletic ability and the way the coaching staff preaches technique, every throw should look similar from a throwing perspective. Jerky or late throws due to technical issues cause turnovers. Fortunately, this problem seems fixable.

The immediate future

No rational person expects Payton Thorne to play perfectly. Mistakes happen in every aspect of life. While that remains true, the ability to fix what is easy to fix lies solely with the player. Thorne, nearing the twilight of his college career, can overcome technical flaws, improve them and turn them into strengths. If he can do that, Auburn can surprise people.