Auburn RB Jarquez Hunter named one of SEC's 'most intriguing' players of 2023

Jarquez Hunter is looking to have a strong season as Auburn's RB1.

After backing up Tank Bigsby for two seasons, the former three-star tailback is prepared to lead the charge for the Tigers' rushing attack this fall.

Hugh Freeze has a very deep stable of backs to choose from, but Hunter should be the one getting the big boy carries.

Jesse Simonton of On3 recently released his 10 most intriguing SEC players in 2023 with Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter making his way onto the list.

Here's what Simonton had to say about Hunter:

"After serving as Tank Bigsby’s backup the last two seasons, Hunter is RB1 for the Tigers now in a new-look offense under Hugh Freeze. Hunter has explosive potential, averaging over 6.5 yards per carry during his career. He rushed for 675 yards and seven scores on just 104 carries in 2022, and while he’ll share touches with USF transfer Brian Battie, Hunter will be the guy Freeze leans on this fall.

This offseason, Freeze called Hunter the “best running back I’ve ever coached.” Auburn has question marks at quarterback and receiver, but the Tigers did overhaul their offensive line via the transfer portal, so Hunter could have more room to operate — while being more heavily relied on."

Here's a look at Auburn's entire rotation heading into 2023:

Jarquez Hunter, Jr.

Hunter took a dip in YPC as his freshman season progressed, but he broke out this past season with three hundred-yard performances over the final three games of the year - including two huge games against Texas A&M and Alabama.

His blend of power and explosiveness has provided Auburn with a fun compliment to star tailback Tank Bigsby - but now that Bigsby is gone, is Hunter ready to carry the load in the backfield?

All signs point towards yes, and there's reason to believe that OC Philip Montgomery and HC Hugh Freeze will be excited about using him. Hunter has also proven to be the best pass-catcher out of the backfield over the past couple of seasons.

Although, there may be someone on the depth chart that could potentially take those passing snaps away from Hunter.

Fans should be excited about Hunter's return and should expect him to continue to improve upon the standard that he has set as an explosive, shifty back that's hard to bring down.

Career carries - 193

Career rushing yards - 1,261

Career total touchdowns - 13

Career YPC - 6.5

Best game of career: Vs Alabama State (9/27/21) - 8 carries, 147 yards, 1 touchdown OR at Alabama (11/26/22) - 11 carries, 134 yards

Brian Battie, Jr.

Over his three year career at USF, Battie rushed for 1842 yards and ten TDs. Battie was also named an 2021 NCAA Consensus All-American at Kick Returner, just the 2nd All-American in USF program history, and followed that with a 2022 season that saw him rack up 1186 yards (at 6.7 yards per carry), eight touchdowns, and be named to Phil Steele's All-American team in an all-purpose role.

A former 3-star recruit from Sarasota, FL, the 5-foot-8 Battie joins a running back room full of talent but short on starting experience - with Tank Bigsby off to the NFL, the returning duo of Jarquez Hunter and Damari Alston have only a combined 207 carries in college football, with 193 of those belonging to Hunter in his role as Bigsby's backup the last two seasons.

Career carries - 280

Career rushing yards - 1,842

Career total touchdowns - 28

Career YPC - 6.6

Best game of career: At Florida ((9/17/22) - 17 carries, 150 yards, 8.8 YPC, 1 touchdowns OR at Tulsa (11/18/22) - 19 carries, 169 yards, 1 touchdown

There were several to choose from.

Damari Alston, So.

Alston was the newbie in the rotation this season, and by default didn't see a lot of playing time - despite this, he finished inside the top 10 of PFF's individual offensive grades for the Tigers in 2022.

He has an almost identical frame to Hunter (5-foot-10, 205 pounds) but has a very different running style - his one-cut bruiser style approach to the game makes him a difficult matchup for opponents as a rotational back - there is no fun in trying to hold Jarques Hunter down and then immediately having to account for a back that does not shy away from contact. He had almost 2,000 all-purpose yards as a junior in high school and has the potential to be a solid option in years to come for Auburn.

Career carries - 14

Career yards - 85

Career touchdowns - 0

Career YPC - 6.1

Best game of career: Vs San Jose State (9/10/22) - 2 carries, 38 yards

Jeremiah Cobb, Fr.

This may be the most intriguing pickup of Auburn's 2023 recruiting class. Cobb was a monster at Montgomery Catholic High School, posting insane stats and displaying a well-rounded skill set. 247Sports noted in their analysis that "not one physical trait that stands out among the rest but (Cobb) possesses a well-rounded skill set and has a good feel for the position."

And a good feel he has. There have been several comps thrown out for Cobb, and one many recruiting experts come back to is Alvin Kamara, given his ability to catch passes out of the backfield and turn anything into a big gain. There's not a particular area of weakness in his game (outside of the fact that he's still raw, as any high school talent), which is great news for the Tigers, who would expect him to take over the starting role as early as 2024 if Jarquez Hunter were to declare for the NFL Draft.

Cobb has some serious potential to become a great weapon in Hugh Freeze's offense.

*Career carries - 639

*Career yards - 6,567

*Career rushing touchdowns - 75

*Career YPC - 10.3

Career receiving yards - 1,142

*Career receiving touchdowns - 15

*Career YPC (receiving) - 22.8 (!)

*All of these career numbers are his high school stats over the course of 50 games.

Sean Jackson, Rs So.

Jackson earned his scholarship as a redshirt freshman last season. He did not record a stat for the Tigers in 2022, but received 12 carries for 60 yards and one touchdown over the course of Auburn's first two games of 2021 (Akron, Alabama State).

He'll be on roster to provide depth in what should be a very talented and well-balanced running back room in 2023. Whether or not Freeze and Montgomery end up giving him any serious playing time is to be determined over the course of the offseason, but Jackson has been praised for his work ethic - hence his reception of a scholarship.

His bruising frame (5-foot-9, 230 pounds) could be utilized in short-yardage situations, if Freeze were to end up using him.

Career carries - 12

Career yards - 60

Career touchdowns - 1

Career YPC - 5.0

Best game of career: Vs Alabama State (9/27/21) - 10 carries, 38 yards, 1 touchdown

Jarquez Hunter, Jr.

Brian Battie, Jr.

Damari Alston, So.

Jeremiah Cobb, Fr.

Sean Jackson, Rs So.

Related stories