We’re taking a look at each position group as Auburn prepares to open spring practice on Feb. 27. The second of an 11-part series looks at the runningbacks.

Replacing star runningback Tank Bigsby is a complex ask for offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery. Bigbsy had 973 yards and 10 touchdowns last season, leaving the Plains for the 2023 National Football League Draft seventh on the Tigers’ rushing yard list with 2,903 yards.

Bigsby was a reliable three-year starter and leading rusher. Jarquez Hunter returns to Auburn after posting seven touchdowns and 673 yards last season. Hunter finished the season going over 100 yards in each of Auburn’s final three games. He ran for 134 yards in the Iron Bowl loss against Alabama.

Hunter ran for 109 yards on 13 carries in the win against Western Kentucky. He also ran for 114 yards in the emotional win for the Tigers in Carnell Williams’ first victory as interim head coach at Jordan-Hare.

Damari Alston saw limited action behind Hunter and Bigsby. The true freshman had 85 yards on 14 carries last season during 12 games. Alston is expected to see more activity in 2023 and beyond.

Projected Depth Chart:

Jarquez Hunter, Junior

Brian Battie, Junior

Damari Alston, Sophmore

Justin Jones, Junior

Luke Reebals, Redshirt Freshman

Departed: Tank Bigsby, NFL Draft

Due to arrive in the fall: Four-star recruit Jeremiah Cobb

Outlook: If Hunter is ready to elevate into a starring role, it will bode well for the Auburn offense seeking to bounce back from a losing season. Hunter has the tools to be the next elite back in the Tigers’ esteemed history of running backs. Auburn will count on him to show it each week in the SEC.

Battie is a South Florida transfer who racked up 1,186 rushing yards last fall. He had seven games over 100 yards last season, and one of his best games was against the Florida Gators.

Battie ran for 150 with an average of 8.82 yards per carry. He’s also a dynamic athlete on special teams. He was a consensus All-American in 2021 as a returner and, in 2022, had over 1,000 return yards.

“The first guy is never going to bring him down or tackle him,” Auburn running back coach Cadillac Williams told reporters. “He always is a smaller guy, but he’s a natural runner between the tackles. He’s a running back. He’s a football player. He’s a guy that understands leverage and angles, a guy that’s going to break tackles, and he’s strong, very competitive, and wants to be one of the best. We are getting a complete back that can do it all.”

Battie and Hunter could become a solid one-two punch for the Tigers. Alston is on his way to becoming a rotational back.

Williams also expressed excitement about incoming freshman Cobb from Montgomery. Cobb had three-consecutive 2,000-yard rushing seasons as a high school star. Getting playing time as a freshman in the SEC isn’t easy, but Cobb might be the rare one to work his way on the field early.

“He’s a running back that can do it all to me. One thing that I love about him, and everybody knows about his speed, everybody knows about his long runs, but he is a guy that can get the tough yards,” Williams told reporters. “He’s a guy that breaks tackles. One thing I love about him, he will stick his face in the fan, as in he’s a willing blocker. He’s pretty good at that.”

Up next: Wide Receivers

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group.