Payton Thorne
Payton Thorne (born June 26, 2001) is an American football quarterback for the Auburn Tigers. Thorne played for the Michigan State Spartans from 2019 to 2022
![]() Thorne with Michigan State in 2021 | |
Auburn Tigers – No. 1 | |
---|---|
Position | Quarterback |
Class | ![]() Redshirt |
Major | Communication |
Personal information | |
Born: | Naperville, Illinois, U.S. | June 26, 2001
Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
Weight | 210 lb (95 kg) |
Career history | |
College |
|
Bowl games | |
High school | Naperville Central (Naperville, Illinois) |
High school career
Thorne originally attended Metea Valley High School in Aurora, Illinois before transferring to Naperville Central High School in Naperville, Illinois. As a senior in 2018, he was named the Chicago Sun-Times and Naperville Sun Player of the Year after throwing for 3,113 yards and 40 touchdowns.[1][2] Thorne originally committed to Western Michigan University to play college football but later switched to Michigan State University.[3][4]
College career
Thorne was redshirted his first year at Michigan State in 2019.[5] In 2020, he played in four games as a backup to Rocky Lombardi and made one start. In his first career start against Penn State he passed for 325 yards and three touchdowns.[6][7] For the season, he completed 48 of 85 passes for 582 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. Thorne was named the Spartans starter to open the 2021 season.[8][9]
In his first full year as a starter in 2021 Thorne threw for 3,240 yards, 27 TDs, 10 INTs, with a 77.7 QBR.[10] Thorne has been named to the Maxwell Award watch list for the upcoming 2022 season.[11]
Statistics
Michigan State Spartans | |||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Games | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||||
GP | Record | Comp | Att | Pct | Yards | Avg | TD | Int | Rate | Att | Yards | Avg | TD | ||
2019 | DNP | ||||||||||||||
2020 | 4 | 0–1 | 48 | 85 | 56.5 | 582 | 6.8 | 3 | 3 | 118.6 | 25 | 47 | 1.9 | 1 | |
2021 | 13 | 11–1 | 235 | 389 | 60.4 | 3,232 | 8.3 | 27 | 10 | 148.0 | 82 | 181 | 2.2 | 4 | |
2022 | 12 | 5–7 | 242 | 387 | 62.5 | 2,679 | 6.9 | 19 | 11 | 131.2 | 60 | 42 | 0.7 | 1 | |
2023 | – | ||||||||||||||
Career | 29 | 16−9 | 525 | 861 | 61.0 | 6,493 | 7.5 | 49 | 24 | 137.5 | 167 | 270 | 1.6 | 6 |
Personal life
Thorne is a Christian.[12] Thorne's father, Jeff Thorne, was the offensive coordinator at Western Michigan in 2022.[13]
References
- Long, Beth (November 21, 2018). "2018 Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year: Naperville Central's Payton Thorne". Chicago Sun-Times.
- Baumgartner, Blake. "Naperville Central's Payton Thorne is the 2018 Naperville Sun Football Player of the Year". chicagotribune.com.
- Baumgartner, Blake. "Changeup: Naperville Central's Payton Thorne switches from Western Michigan to Michigan State". chicagotribune.com.
- "The rapid process that led QB Payton Thorne to Michigan State". mlive. December 18, 2018.
- Schmit, Kevin (June 19, 2020). "Naperville Central grad Thorne has high hopes at Michigan State". Football Focus.
- Baumgartner, Blake. "Naperville's Payton Thorne made a difference in his first start at QB for Michigan State. Now, he wants to do that with regularity". chicagotribune.com.
- "Michigan State QB Payton Thorne shines early in first career start". mlive. December 12, 2020.
- "Payton Thorne to start at QB for Michigan State in season opener at Northwestern". mlive. September 4, 2021.
- Charboneau, Matt. "Payton Thorne named starting QB for MSU ahead of opener vs. Northwestern". The Detroit News.
- "Payton Thorne Stats, News, Bio". ESPN. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
- "Jayden Reed and Payton Thorne Named to Maxwell Award Watch List". Michigan State University Athletics. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
- Doering, Joshua. "Michigan State QB Payton Thorne looks to God while leading resurgent Spartans". Sports Spectrum. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- "Twists of fate allow Michigan State QB Payton Thorne's dad to see son play up close". Detroit Free Press. November 19, 2020.