Auburn’s starting quarterback has had an up-and-down tenure with the Tigers, but beating Alabama would secure his legacy in the program.

AUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Auburn quarterback Payton Thorne’s status is uncertain for Saturday’s game against Louisiana-Monroe. Tigers coach Hugh Freeze said Thorne did not practice during the open date last week after injuring his right, throwing shoulder in a loss to Vanderbilt and that it’s still not fully healed.

That loss was also Thorne's fifth-straight start. He was benched in favor of redshirt freshman Hank Brown for Auburn's Week 3 win against New Mexico after Thorne threw four interceptions in the Tigers' loss to Cal the week prior.

While it isn't his best game by the numbers, he arguably made his biggest statement in an Auburn uniform against in Saturday's win

"Most of it's been about just the the mental toughness that he and I have kind of endured together to get through a lot of things," Freeze said.