A dual-threat QB with 53 games of collegiate experience, Thorne signed with the Bengals as a college free agent in May ... He played his first three college seasons (2020-22) at Michigan State University, before spending his final two years ('23-24) at Auburn University ... Career totals included 885 completions on 1442 passing attempts (61.4 percent), for 10,961 yards and 86 TDs with 43 INTs ... He also rushed for 1068 yards and 11 TDs on 413 carries ... Had a breakout campaign in 2021 while at Michigan State, as he earned honorable mention All-Big Ten status and set a Spartans single-season record with 27 TD passes ... Saw action in 24 games with 22 starts in his two seasons at Auburn ... He was the 2018 USA Today Illinois Offensive Player of the Year as a senior at Naperville Central High School in Naperville, Ill.
Signed with Cincinnati as college free agent on 5-9-25.
Played three seasons (2020-22) at Michigan State and two ('23-24) at Auburn.
2024—Played in 11 games with 10 starts for Auburn ... Voted a team captain for second straight season ... Completed 199 of 317 passes (62.8 percent) for 2713 yards and 21 TDs with nine INTs ... Rushed 112 times for 283 yards and two TDs ... Opened season with 322 passing yards and 49 rushing yards, including season-long 31-yard run, and had five total TDs (four passing, one rushing) on Aug. 31 vs. Alabama A&M ... Passed for season-high 338 yards and three TDs on Sept. 28 vs. Oklahoma ... Tied Auburn single-game record with five TD passes on Nov. 16 vs. Louisiana-Monroe.
2023—Played in all 13 games with 12 starts in first season at Auburn ... Voted a team captain ... Completed 162 of 265 passes (61.1) for 1755 yards and 16 TDs with 10 INTs ... Passed for season-high 282 yards and rushed for season-best 123 yards with three total TDs (one passing, two rushing) on Sept. 16 vs. Samford ... Rushed for 515 yards and three TDs on 134 attempts ... Ran for 92 yards on 12 carries, including season-long 61-yard dash, on Sept. 30 vs. Georgia ... Completed 76.9 percent of his passing attempts (20 of 26) for 230 yards with three TDs and no picks on Oct. 28 vs. Mississippi State.
2022—Started all 12 games for Michigan State ... Team captain ... Completed 242 of 387 passes (62.5) for 2679 yards and 19 TDs with 11 INTs ... Ranked fourth in Big Ten in completions and passing attempts, fifth in TD passes and sixth in passing yards ... Had nine TD passes of 20 or more yards, the second-most in the Big Ten ... Also rushed 60 times for 42 yards and one TD ... Completed 71.4 percent of his passes (30 of 42) for season-high 323 yards and three TDs on Sept. 17 at Washington ... Went 21-for-28 (75.0) for 265 yards and two TDs with no INTs on Oct. 15 vs. Wisconsin ... Named to Academic All-Big Ten Team.
2021—Started all 13 games for Michigan State ... Named honorable mention All-Big Ten ... Team captain ... Completed 234 of 388 passes (60.3) for 3232 yards and 27 TDs with 10 INTs ... Rushed 82 times for 181 yards and four TDs ... Set Michigan State single-season record for TD passes, while ranking third in school history in total yards (3414), third in passing yards, third in passing yards per game (248.7) and tied for sixth in completions ... Ranked third in Big Ten in TD passes and fourth in passing yards ... Tied for sixth in FBS with 14 TD passes of 20 or more yards ... Had five total TDs (four passing, one rushing), and completed 70 percent of his passes (14 of 20) on Sept. 11 vs. Youngstown State ... Passed for 339 yards and three TDs on Oct. 9 at Rutgers ... Capped off breakout campaign with season highs in passing attempts (50), completions (29) and passing yards (354), and threw three TD passes in Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 30 vs. Pittsburgh ... Helped lead Michigan State to 11-2 record and top-10 ranking in final Associated Press national poll ... Named to Academic All-Big Ten Team.
2020—Played in four games with one start for Michigan State during season that was condensed due to COVID-19 pandemic ... Completed 48 of 85 passes (56.5) for 582 yards and three TDs with three INTs ... Rushed 25 times for 47 yards and one TD ... Made first career start on Dec. 12 at Penn State and went 22-for-39 for 325 yards and three TDs with an INT ... Named to Academic All-Big Ten Team.
2019—Redshirted his true freshman season.
Earned first varsity letter as a sophomore at Metea Valley High School in Aurora, Ill., before transferring to Naperville Central High School in Naperville, Ill., for final two seasons ... Named USA Today Illinois Offensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2018, when he passed for 3113 yards and 40 TDs and led Naperville Central to second round of Class 8A playoffs ... Also rushed for 451 yards and four TDs in senior campaign ... In two seasons at Naperville Central, he became the school's career leader in completions (342), passing yards (5637) and TDs (65) ... Also played basketball and baseball.
Hometown is Naperville, Ill. ... Earned bachelor's degree in communication from Michigan State ... Grandfather, Dave Martin, played college football at the University of Wisconsin ... Father, Jeff Thorne, was head coach at North Central College from 2015-21 and led team to Division III national championship in '19 ... Jeff Thorne also was offensive coordinator at Western Michigan University in 2022.
