AUBURN — Auburn football is already almost done with spring practice.

The spring period, which will culminate with A-Day on April 6, has seen some players separate themselves from the pack, though drawing grand conclusions so far from the season opener in August is a fool's errand; the foundation can begin to be set for players in March and April, but a final depth chart is a long way away.

Quarterbacks are no different.

"Leadership has been really good," coach Hugh Freeze said of his QBs on March 19. "... Our decision-making has not been exactly what I want it to be just yet, but, boy, they're hungry to learn."

From incumbent starter Payton Thorne to true freshman Walker White, here's an updated look at where Auburn's quarterbacks sit with A-Day approaching:

NEWCOMER: 5-star freshman Cam Coleman shares his 'welcome to college' moment with Auburn

GOING UP: 5 Auburn football players who have risen their stock in spring practice

Payton Thorne

Freeze said in February that he felt the starting job was Thorne's to lose, and the former Michigan State transfer has seemingly done nothing to lose it yet.

Thorne has consistently been the first quarterback through drills during the portions of practice open to reporters, and he's taking snaps with the presumed first-team offense more than anyone else: "Payton is still the most consistent, probably, and should be," Freeze said March 19. "He's had the most reps and the most understanding of what defenses can do to you."

"Payton is a really competitive young man, which we want." quarterbacks coach Kent Austin said March 20. "We want quarterbacks with grit. Most of the time, he handled (adversity last season) well. He's a pretty mature young man. Other times he didn't. But I'd rather dial a guy back in than have to dial him up."

Hank Brown

Redshirt freshman Hank Brown saw action in one game last season, yet he made the most of it.

Brown came in late in the game against Maryland in the Music City Bowl. The score was out of hand, but he impressed by completing seven of his nine passes for 132 yards: "It was freezing cold that game and I think he threw like eight balls," Austin recalled. "I walked over to him before he went into the game and I said, 'Hey, you've been sitting all day long. Do you want to warm up?' He said, 'No, coach. I'm good.' He just went in the game and did what he did. That's him. That's his demeanor. It's served him well in his career so far."

"Hank's doing well," Austin added. "I recruited Hank for a while because I recruited at Liberty with coach Freeze. Hank is a very confident young man. ... Hank gets it. Hank is calm. The thing I told coach Freeze over and over again: I watched Hank in really big games in high school. ... Hank always played better when the lights were on. Always."

Holden Geriner

Seemingly competing with Brown for the backup job behind Thorne, redshirt sophomore Holden Geriner has often been the second QB to go through drills in spring practice. It makes sense, given that he's the second-most-experienced player at the position.

Geriner threw 15 passes last season, completing five of them for 75 yards. He's been praised before for having what may be the best arm out of the entire group, having a knack for putting some extra zip on his throws.

Walker White

A former four-star recruit, White is "swimming" in new information since he arrived to campus as an early enrollee. The biggest thing that stands out about him is his stature; his 6-foot-3 frame has him looking more advanced than the usual freshman.

"Well, first off, he’s a man-child," Thorne said of White on Feb. 29. "He’s like 225. He looks like Tim Tebow out there sometimes. ... Really fun to work with him. He’s eager to learn. You can tell he comes from a good family, nice dude, likes to have fun — in a good way.

"He’s been really good so far. Like I said, he’s eager to learn and wants to know everything. He’s always asking questions, so he’s just going to continue to develop."

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: Auburn football: Where quarterbacks stand as spring practice wraps up