Five best Auburn Tigers to wear No. 1 since 2000

To the long-time Auburn fans, I ask for your forgiveness…

My wheelhouse with Auburn football is from the year 2000 until now. Looking through every Auburn Tiger to don the number 1, these were the five best since the year 2000–and quite frankly, my favorites to showcase the number in orange and blue.

I am solely looking at each player’s time at Auburn, not their NFL careers. What did they do while wearing the number 1 jersey?

I’d like for you to educate me on the best players to wear the number 1 in Auburn history. Or, at least, who were your favorites?

No. 1 – DL, Montravius Adams (2013-2016)

Adams is my top pick as he was a force in so many different games. He was one of the few defensive linemen who was able to get a turnover at big moments. Adams was a massive recruiting win over Alabama and Georgia–and this one translated to a big career.

I remember several monster plays against LSU and Ole Miss. Adams was known for getting a quick jump at the snap, then having elite hands to shed blocks. He made several athletic plays like blocking field goals, batting the ball down, and chasing down the quarterback–things typical interior defensive linemen don’t do. His career spanned over some good and mediocre seasons, but he always had an impact on games.

CAREER STATS:
50 games
151 tackles
22 tackles for loss
11 sacks
3 forced fumbles
3 fumble recoveries
2 interceptions
1 Def touchdown

📽 | Carl Lawson and Montravius Adams combine for one of the Tigers' most memorable plays of 2016.#TakeawayTuesday pic.twitter.com/EtttB7B6M3

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) October 18, 2016

No. 2 – WR, Devin Aromashodu (2002-2005)

Aromashodu was one of the best receivers of one of the best receiver rooms in Auburn history. He was a part of some of the best teams in Auburn history, too. Aromashodu never lost to Alabama during his time at Auburn. Easily his most memorable play was the go-ahead touchdown on 4th and 10 with 2:05 left in the fourth quarter against Georgia in 2005. He would fumble going into the end zone, but it was recovered for a touchdown by Courtney Taylor. Aromashodu made tons of big plays for Auburn during one of the best runs in program history.

CAREER STATS:
51 games
71 catches
1,333 yards
9 touchdowns

No. 3 – RB, Brad Lester (2004-2008)

Lester is one of my favorite running backs to ever come through Auburn. He started his Auburn career as No. 28, then switched to 1. Lester had his big years in 2005 and 2006 sharing time with Kenny Irons and Tre Smith. He had a nose for the end zone and ran like his hair was on fire. Lester put together a really nice career at a time that Auburn running backs were at a premium. He was also still around for the early years of Ben Tate and Mario Fannin. The run against Alabama where Lester dragged two Tide defenders for about 10 yards will live in my memory.

CAREER STATS:
41 games
371 rushes
1,689 yards
19 touchdowns
26 catches
258 yards
3 receiving touchdowns

No. 4 – WR, Anthony Schwartz (2018-2020)

Schwartz has to be mentioned here. He was somewhat of a one-trick pony, but he was good at it. Probably the fastest guy in recent Auburn history, Schwartz was a part of some big wins. I didn’t realize he had 7 rushing touchdowns while at Auburn. Schwartz was the gadget guy for Gus Malzahn, but really came into his own as a receiver and became a serious deep threat. His end-around touchdown against Texas A&M is a good memory.

CAREER STATS:
36 games
117 catches
1,433 yards
6 touchdowns
42 rushes
323 rushing yards
7 rushing touchdowns

No. 5 – CB, Nehemiah Pritchett (2019-2023)

Pritchett made my list due to his longevity at Auburn. We saw Pritchett as a freshman, then he was a mainstay for the next four years. It’s impressive. Especially knowing where he started: a 3-star underrated gem who showed out at Auburn camp. Pritchett was a good coverage guy who made plenty of big plays and became a big return threat as well. He probably has a nice NFL career ahead of him after being drafted by the Seahawks in 2024.

CAREER STATS:
51 games
115 tackles
26 pass breakups
6 tackles for loss
3 interceptions
1 sack
1 forced fumble

Every Auburn Tiger who wore No. 1 since 2000

Devin Aromashodu
Brad Lester
Trovon Reed
Montravius Adams
Duke Williams
Woody Barrett
Big Kat Bryant
Anthony Schwartz
Donovan Kaufman
TJ Finley
Nehemiah Pritchett
Jerrin Thompson
Payton Thorne