Payton Thorne
Payton Thorne
Pushes it downfield on every look. Payton Thorne has played for two head coaches across four seasons and two programs. One game to point at: 338 pass yds, 23 rush yds against Oklahoma — Week 5, 2024.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
How it ended
Four seasons at Auburn, 10,387 passing yards — his college career is complete.
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2021–2024
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Bryan Harsin, Cadillac Williams, and Hugh Freeze. Multi-era developmental context.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Alex Golesh
Career stats
| Season | Team | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Auburn | 199 | 317 | 62.8% | 2,713 | 8.6 | 21 | 9 | 150.8 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Auburn | 162 | 265 | 61.1% | 1,755 | 6.6 | 16 | 10 | 129.1 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Michigan State | 242 | 387 | 62.5% | 2,679 | 6.9 | 19 | 11 | 131.2 | -- | -- |
| 2021 | Michigan State | 235 | 389 | 60.4% | 3,240 | 8.3 | 27 | 10 | 148.1 | -- | -- |
| Career | 838 | 1,358 | 61.7% | 10,387 | 7.6 | 83 | 40 | 140.2 | -- | -- |
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Auburn | 112 | 283 | 2.5 | 2 | -- |
| 2023 | Auburn | 134 | 515 | 3.8 | 3 | -- |
| 2022 | Michigan State | 60 | 42 | 0.7 | 1 | -- |
| 2021 | Michigan State | 82 | 181 | 2.2 | 4 | -- |
| Career | 388 | 1,021 | 2.6 | 10 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 13 · 2024
W 43–41
vs Texas A&M
301 yds · 2 TD · 1 INT · QBR 77.3 · 38 rush yds (11 car)
Edged out Texas A&M at home in a shootout.
How he plays
Play style
Elite arm talent, pushing downfield. Completion rate is the variable.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Vertical Passer
Elite arm talent, pushing downfield. Completion rate is the variable.
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Max Duggan’s 2021 season.
Matches Max on
Differs from Max on
Through 5 college seasons, his career arc tracks closest to Ian Book’s path through Notre Dame.
Ian Book
Matches Ian on
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Luke Altmyer's graduate season at Illinois (2025).
Matches Luke on
Differs from Luke on
Player DNA
Players who play like Payton Thorne
Heisman trajectory
Final Heisman Position · 2024
#40
Heisman watch (#40) · finalist probability 0%.
Development
Development Trajectory · passing yards
2021–2024-16%
Down 16% — context-dependent (injury / role change?).