AUBURN — Personality is important, but on-field ability can transcend off-the-field shortcomings.

Former Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly may not have been the most loved player on the Rebels from 2015-16, but as Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze put it Thursday afternoon: "There was not a single guy that didn't want him in that huddle."

"You want that in your quarterback, that the huddle wants you in there," Freeze said. "I'm looking for somebody to really earn that this spring and fall."

Freeze has three non-negotiables for his starting QB: He must take care of the football, have sound decision making and be accurate. Those are in order.

The starting position at Auburn, along with every other role on the team, is "wide open" with spring practice beginning Tuesday. But that doesn't mean there can't be an early favorite: "Let me be clear: I think Payton has done an incredible job since January of taking a leadership role and setting the standard," Freeze said. "Do I think it's his to lose? Yes. But he's got to go earn it every day.

"We're not in a position where we can just say that it's given to somebody. We're changing our whole verbiage, our whole system, back to what I'm comfortable with. I need to see who has the best grasp on that."

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There are four players vying for the starting job in 2024. Thorne comes back as the starter from last season, along with other returnees redshirt sophomore Holden Geriner and redshirt freshman Hank Brown. True freshman Walker White is the lone newcomer.

Freeze has a crew of coaches who are charged with grading every rep of each QB in practice. From foot work to decision making to execution, it's all jotted down and compiled. The plan, once the team returns from spring break, is to make Tuesdays and Saturdays "high-load days." Thursdays will be designated for teaching.

"I think that's going to help our quarterbacks," Freeze said.

Freeze added: "We're going to find out who grades out the best at leading our football team and executing the plan that we're putting in place. You only do that through great reps."

The first day of spring practice was a windy one on the Plains. Freeze said he was impressed with Brown's abilities to throw the ball in those conditions. Brown, a former three-star recruit in the Class of 2023, appeared in one game last season; he played 13 snaps in the Music City Bowl against Maryland, completing seven of his nine passes for 132 yards.

"You're going to get really good looks at Payton and Holden and Hank," Freeze said. "And then you want to get Walker some because I think he's so talented. His arm strength is phenomenal. He made throws the other day that it takes arm strength to make. But he's swimming and everything is coming at him really fast right now. We've got to find a way to slow that down and get him quality reps, too. ...

"But you've got to get the quarterbacks the reps and see who executes."

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: The Auburn football QB job is Payton Thorne's to lose as spring starts