What Auburn’s Pro Day Meant to an In-State Running Back Recruit

Pro Day is always a monumental occasion for any collegiate program, as players from the program’s past come back to their alma mater to observe, train and meet new staff and recruits. The Auburn Tigers, of course, are no exception, and the team hosted a few recruits during this year’s Pro Day.

One such visitor, Zyien Dupree, told Auburn Tigers on SI that he was quite impressed his experience. Dupree, who is a running back in the 2028 class, is 6-foot and 210 pounds and just finished up his sophomore year of high school.

“The culture and the energy around the program [stood out to me],” he said. “Just seeing the pride of past players coming back for today's practice was awesome. Auburn Tigers football is definitely high on my board right now. They’re a school I’m taking very serious.”

During his visit, Dupree had the opportunity to chat with multiple of Auburn’s new coaches, including the head man himself: Alex Golesh.

“They kept it honest,” he said. “Showed genuine interest [and] told me to keep working hard!”

For different recruits, different things stand out about the Plains, but one thread has remained fairly consistent regardless of position, star classification or age: tradition and competition.

“The first thing that comes to mind is tradition and competing at a high level,” he said. “Auburn Tigers football has a strong history of running backs. My name sounds good running on the Plains! Plus, Auburn has a loyal fan base.”

Indeed, Auburn has a strong history of running backs, including big names like Bo Jackson, Kerryon Johnson, Tank Bigsby, Tre Mason and Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, but it also has a top-tier running back room for 2026, including four backs who led their respective teams last year.

However, many of these top-level backs are upperclassmen, so the door remains open for the future of the room, so someone like Dupree could very easily step into the room in late 2028 and be the next big name on the Plains.

Though the future is bright for Dupree, he told me he is committed to today and focused on getting better every day.

“I’m going to stay focused, keep working, and not get caught up in the hype,” he said. “My goal is to keep improving every day and make the best decision for my future.”

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