Payton Thorne is still the leader for Auburn’s starting quarterback position heading into this weekend’s A-Day spring game, head coach Hugh Freeze said during a press conference Tuesday. He stated Thorne will still be atop the depth chart when Auburn gets to fall camp practices.

But his spot isn’t safe.

“Payton will still be in the lead, pole position come fall camp,” Freeze said. “I do think the gap’s not very far from him and Hank and Holden.”

It remains in line with what Freeze has said throughout spring practices.

“I think Payton has done an incredible job since January of taking a leadership role and setting the standard,” Freeze said before Auburn’s first practice of the spring. “Do I think it’s his to lose? Yes. But he’s gotta go earn it every day. We’re not in a position where we can just say that it’s given to somebody.”

In general, Freeze said the quarterbacks have “absolutely improved from Week 1 to now.” He specifically mentioned their development in decision-making.

Freeze did add that it’s become increasingly difficult to give a fair rotation of snaps to Auburn’s four top quarterbacks.

As he tries to narrow down the group for eventual fall camp practices, Freeze mentioned highly touted freshman Walker White separately from the trio of Thorne, Holdern Geriner and Hank Brown in the quarterback competition.

Freeze said White is still “swimming” with all the new information and playbooks he’s learning in spring practices. His lack of experience has kept him behind three others who all have a season under Hugh Freeze at Auburn under their belt.

White is likely the future of the position at Auburn, but Freeze’s comments suggest it isn’t his turn quite yet.

“As excited as we are about Walker, the other three will get the majority of the reps come fall camp,” Freeze said. “But I’m real excited about Walker, too, so we’ll see. It’s going to be hard to get four. We’ve done a good job getting them a bunch of reps in spring. It’s probably hurt Payton some, because he hasn’t gotten as many. But we feel like he’ll be fine come fall camp. We really need to solidify who’s really competing for the starting job, thus being the backup whichever way that goes by fall camp. We probably have to do that a week into fall camp. No more.”

Thorne has never relinquished his spot atop Auburn’s QB depth chart despite a tumultuous first season at Auburn.

He began the 2023 season in a rotation with backup quarterback Robby Ashford before Freeze elected to roll with Thorne outright. Before Auburn play in the Music City Bowl, Freeze said he was sticking with Thorne as his starting quarterback for 2024 — essentially giving Thorne a full vote of confidence and a plan to build around him.

But Thorne struggled in the bowl game and re-opened what had appeared as a closed quarterback competition.

Freeze never seemed enticed to get another quarterback out of the transfer portal as he had already done with Thorne. Freeze was excited about White, a four-star recruit, as he continued to emphasize his plan to build his team throughout high school recruiting.

But just a freshman in his first weeks of college, Freeze implied White isn’t ready yet to seriously compete for the quarterback job.

Thorne is by far the most experienced quarterback option Auburn has, and the leader for now as a result. Geriner, Brown and White have played a combined seven games of college football.

Auburn’s A-Day spring football game is set for 1 p.m. kickoff Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium and will be aired on SEC Network +.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at [email protected]