When a white jersey with a navy blue No. 15 sewed on jogged between the lines at Nissan Stadium, the game’s outcome was already settled. Saturday was his first snap of his college career, and it came in his hometown.

Yet Hank Brown, a Nashville native, came out slinging as if his team wasn’t trailing by a huge score, as if he wasn’t under the lights of an NFL stadium, and as if the moment of his first-ever playing time wasn’t too big for him. Brown threw one of the best deep balls thrown by any Auburn quarterback this season on his second career pass attempt, hitting wide receiver Caleb Burton in stride for a 53-yard gain that set up a touchdown.

Auburn was behind 31-7 when Brown joined the game, which ended in a 31-13 loss.

However, Auburn’s two quarterbacks ahead of him on the depth chart, Payton Thorne and Holden Geriner, both struggled against Maryland. Thorne finished 13-27 for 84 yards, while Geriner finished 1-6 for eight yards. Thorne and Geriner both threw interceptions. Thorne would have thrown a second interception if it hadn’t been called back due to a penalty.

In the Music City Bowl, only one quarterback provided any form of spark for Auburn. And, despite appearing late in the game and surrounded by reserves, that guy was Hank Brown.

Following the loss, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze stated that the starting quarterback job would be “wide-open” in 2024. That remark came only two weeks after he appeared to commit to Thorne as his starter for next season.

Could Brown factor into that competition with just one brief burst of excellence?

While he is unlikely to earn the job, being a name in the rotation for snaps in forthcoming spring and fall camp workouts is not out of the question.

“But Hank is just, I like the way he plays,” said tight end Rivaldo Fairweather following the Music City Bowl. “He’s a really calm and composed young man, and he’s just a good kid.” You just have to keep going and play hard, and perhaps he’ll get a chance.”

Brown was virtually fourth in line behind Thorne, Robby Ashford, and Geriner for the 2023 regular season. Thorne and Geriner will both return next season. Ashford logged into the transfer portal. Walker White, a four-star recruit, will also join the team.

Freeze’s initial claim in supporting Thorne was that if he could put the components in place around the Michigan State transfer, Thorne’s play would improve as a result. What Freeze understood on Saturday was that the incoming wide receiver class, which includes two five-star prospects and two four-star recruits, will not be enough to solve the quarterback performance on its own.