It was no secret that Auburn had question marks at several positions when Hugh Freeze took over the program after Bryan Harsin’s departure. Freeze openly expressed concern about the quarterbacks, receivers, and depth on the offensive line.

For as many areas as Freeze felt he needed to address, he didn’t feel the need to be concerned about the status of Auburn’s runningbacks. Despite losing Tank Bigsby to NFL Draft, where the Jacksonville Jaguars picked him, there wasn’t much panic. Of course, comfort becomes more straightforward when the team has Jarquez Hunter leading the way.

Hunter ran for 593 yards and three touchdowns as a freshman in 2021, averaging 6.7 yards per carry. He built on the foundation of his freshman success last season with seven touchdowns and 668 yards on 6.7 yards per touch. Similarly to how Freeze was candid with his critiques for other units at Auburn, he was effusive with praise for Hunter.

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“I think Jarquez is the best that I’ve coached thus far. We’re excited about his demeanor and how he goes about his work,” Freeze told reporters. “If you want him to play kickoff or punt teams, he’s all, ‘Let’s go. Let’s do it.’ Not that we want him to do that.”

Freeze wanted to add to the running back depth. He consulted with offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery and running back coach Cadillac Williams. One of the reasons Freeze doesn’t need Hunter to worry about punt or kick returns was signing Brian Battie out of USF. Battie is a former All-American kick returner and a dynamic running back.

“The thing that you notice when you’re around him or even as a person that played against him, he is very difficult to tackle,” Montgomery said. “Right? And he does a great job of setting up blocks and being patient. He can stop and start and create some spacing for himself. And then, I’m just telling you, he hides behind things, and then suddenly, you see him pop out, and good things are happening.”

Hunter and Battie form a formidable pair for the Tiger offense. Damari Alston played behind Bigsby and Hunter last season as a freshman. He’s seeking more carries as a sophomore.

“With my freshman year and this year, I came in with the same mindset,” Alston said. “Even though Tank and Jarquez were in front of me, I still came in competing like I was coming for the starting job. I feel like that’s how I am this year as well, and that’s how it is now, and it’s still going to be the same.”

If that’s enough, don’t forget about incoming freshman Jeremiah Cobb, who comes to the Plains with many expectations as a 4-star running back from Montgomery Catholic Preparatory.

“I think there’s a good battle going on in there, yet I think they also understand, especially in the world of college football, it’s probably going to be some version of a rotation that’s going to happen in the backfield,” Montgomery said. I’ve been impressed with that room. I think they’ve got a chance to have a really special season when we all get it going in the right direction, and they’re going to be a vital, vital, vital part of what we are.”

Auburn starts the 2023 season at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Sept 2 against UMass.

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group.