AUBURN — The Auburn University football team opted to hold an interesting event at this year's SEC Media Days.
Rather than relying on a few low-profile veterans, such as sixth-year tight end Luke Diehl and senior cornerback Keionte Scott, the Tigers will send linebacker Eugene Assanti, defensive end Keldrick Faulk and quarterback Peyton Thorne to Dallas with coach Hugh Freeze to represent the team at the conference's major offseason event.
Assanti makes sense given his feisty personality and breakout performance last season, but the other two are a bit of a shocker given Thorne's shaky 2023 season and Faulk's lack of experience. Faulk, entering his second year at Auburn, is the first true sophomore to represent the program at media day, according to Auburn University observer Justin Ferguson.
Here are some questions Freese and his players will answer when they speak Thursday at the Omni Hotel in downtown Dallas.
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Why would year two be different for Peyton Thorne?
No sugar coating here: Thorne did not have the season many expected him to have in 2023. After appearing in 29 games for nearly 6,500 passing yards and 49 touchdown passes over his four-year career at Michigan State, he passed for just 1,755 yards last season and didn't record a passing touchdown against an SEC rival until mid-October.
Obviously, if Auburn wants to be an even better team, these numbers need to improve.
“I believe in him,” Freeze said of Thorne at an AMBUSH event at Lake Martin this month. “I believe in his leadership. I've seen him every week so far. He has as good a knowledge of the game as I've ever had as a quarterback. Now that we're back to some of the things that we're really familiar with, I think he'll feel more comfortable. … I'm optimistic and I believe in Peyton.”
What are the expectations in the building?
Freeze has been adamant since he arrived at Auburn that executing this program plan will take time and patience. He has consistently said he wants to build his team through traditional recruiting and wants to get the team through a few recruiting classes before getting too confident.
But the wins will come, and he knows it. Another six-win season, followed by another disappointing offensive performance, would heat up his seat, as would any Auburn coach after two straight years of questionable results.
So what can we expect? What does success look like for Freeze in Year 2? He'll certainly be looking to finish the season with a winning record, a feat the Tigers haven't accomplished since 2020.
Who will step up defensively?
Auburn's defense held the Tigers in check most of last season, allowing fewer than 30 points in nine games and allowing more than 31 points just once. Louisiana State's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Jayden Daniels scored 48 points in the blowout win.
Last season's defensive stars included safety Jaylin Simpson and defensive lineman Marcus Harris, both of whom left for the NFL, as well as standout cornerbacks DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett. Other impact players, including Zion Puckett and Justin Rodgers, have also departed.
Who's next? Faulk seems like the most logical answer, given that Freeze showed confidence in him by sending him to media day, but there are still other candidates to consider.
Richard Silva is an Auburn University sports reporter for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached by email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter X (formerly @rich_silva18).
