Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze told reporters on Friday morning that he and his offensive staff were closing in on a decision as to who would backup Payton Thorne as the Tigers’ backup quarterback.

And on Monday evening during the first Tiger Talk radio show of the season, Freeze came through on his promise, naming redshirt freshman quarterback Hank Brown as Auburn’s second-string quarterback heading into the season opener.

“Hank is going to be the backup primarily,” Freeze said. “He’s just, when you grade all the reps, man, he has been really, really good throwing the football in camp. He’s thrown some really good balls.”

Brown appeared in just one game as a true freshman last fall, as he took snaps late in Auburn’s Music City Bowl loss to Maryland.

In his bowl game appearance, Brown went 7-for-9 for 132 yards.

Coming out of Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, where he played under current UAB head coach Trent Dilfer, Brown rated as a three-star quarterback.

There at Lipscomb Academy, Brown helped lead the Mustangs to a perfect 13-0 record and the Tennessee D2-AA state championship in 2022.

As a senior in high school, Brown passed for 3,264 yards and 47 touchdowns on 73.3% passing.

Brown beat out redshirt sophomore Holden Geriner and true freshman Walker White for the QB2 distinction.