SEC quarterback power rankings (How high did Carson Beck climb?)
By Josh Yourish
SEC QB rankings No. 10: Payton Thorne, Tennessee
- Passing yards: 1,269
- TD: 10 INT: 6
- Comp: 63.9%
- YPA: 6.9
At times this year there were questions surrounding Payton Thorne and some even thought that Hugh Freeze would make a change at quarterback. He’s stuck with Thorne, even through a four-game losing streak, and in the last two weeks, that decision has paid off.
Auburn has won back-to-back games and Thorne has thrown for 424 yards and five touchdowns across those two matchups. He’s a solidly accurate passer even with a fairly aggressive ADOT of 9.0. However, it is his legs that elevate him above some of the lesser quarterbacks.
Thorne is 10th in expected points added among SEC quarterbacks, but has a rushing EPA of 12.8 which is fourth and only behind the top 3 quarterbacks on this list. I value dual-threat ability and playmaking out of the structure, Thorne does both things well.