Auburn football running back target Dillon Johnson commits to Washington

Transfer running back Dillon Johnson has committed to Washington, per his social media.

The three-star running back formerly at Mississippi State, chose the Huskies over Auburn and Syracuse. He spent three years with the Bulldogs, where he accumulated over 2,000 yards from scrimmage (1,198 rushing and 864 receiving) to go along with 23 total touchdowns. He was one of, if not the most coveted running back on the transfer portal market.

Auburn enters 2023 with a lot of talent in their running back room, albeit mostly inexperienced: Backup Jarquez Hunter should now get the nod as the starter in the backfield ahead of Damari Alston and freshman Jeremiah Cobb.

Let’s shock the World !!!! #PurpleReign ☔️☔️☔️ pic.twitter.com/SIDzSaDXZK
— Dillon Johnson (@Dill_7k) January 3, 2023

Although Johnson would have been a valuable pickup, the trio of Hunter, Alston and Cobb should produce solid numbers in Hugh Freeze's offense. Fans should be most excited about Hunter, who 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 - something that Auburn wanted Dillon Johnson for - over the past couple of seasons.

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