Could Auburn have a 1,000 yard rusher in 2023?

The Auburn Tigers have a good history when it comes to running backs.

Legends such as Bo Jackson and Cadillac Williams come to mind as well as recent star players like Tank Bigsby.

After picking up 1,099 yards an the ground in 2021, Bigsby was 30 yards shy of having another 1,000-yard season in 2022. He saw a steep decline in carries, only getting 179 after having 223 in 2021.

The 2023 discussion is an interesting one.

There are reasons to believe at least one Auburn running back could break the 1,000-yard threshold this fall but there are a few factors that could prevent that from happening.

Auburn has a lot of talent to carry the football. Jarquez Hunter, who has played second-fiddle to Bigsby for the past two seasons, will be available for the whole season and has the chance to step into the primary role in the backfield.

Hunter picked up 668 yards and seven touchdowns off of 104 carries last season. Damari Alston will be going into his sophomore season and have his name called plenty of times.

Newcomers Brian Battie and Jeremiah Cobb will play a role as well.

Batties is a former South Florida Bull who joined the Tigers via the transfer portal in the winter and rushed for 1,186 yards and eight touchdowns off of 176 carries last season.

Cobb is a freshman from Montgomery, Alabama. He was a 4-star recruit, the No. 217 player in the class of 2023 and the No. 11 running back according to 247Sports.

Another factor is the offensive line. The unit was one of the worst in the SEC last season. Head coach Hugh Freeze made improving the group a priority so improvement can be expected.

In short, Auburn surely has the potential to produce a 1,000-yard rusher this season. The most likely factory to prevent it is having too many mouths to feed as far as carries go.

Could Auburn have a 1,000 yard rusher in 2023?

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