For Jarquez Hunter, the recent success is business as usual
Call him a diamond in the rough, a sleeper, or underrated, but don’t call freshman running back Jarquez Hunter unproductive.
The former three-star prospect from Mississippi didn’t get much attention when he signed with Auburn’s new coaching staff, but it’s safe to say he has everybody’s attention now.
Hunter leads the Auburn team in rushing and is the only back in the nation averaging over 10 yards per carry. And he’s doing this with stellar back Tank Bigsby in the same backfield.
How did Hunter get into this position to become one of the standout young offensive players in the SEC? Let’s take a look back at Hunter’s recruitment, the skill set that landed him at Auburn, and why his current rate of production shouldn’t slow down any time soon.
Hunter earned some early attention
Camps are important for coaches and for ratings. Hunter was one of many in the 2021 recruiting class who got a raw deal with the recruiting process during a world-wide pandemic.
Early on in his recruiting process, before camps and visits were off, Hunter caught the eye of coaches when he got the chance to showcase his talent.
In the summer before his sophomore year, Hunter earned the “All Saban Award” at an Alabama camp. Needless to say, he was on the radar of some prominent programs around the south.
Not too long after earning some praise during the summer camp circuit, Hunter began taking visits and learning which school would be the best fit for him. One of the programs that Hunter became familiar with was Auburn. With his background in working on the family farm, Auburn was a place where he felt comfortable being that Auburn has a rich history in farming and agriculture.
Schools such as Louisville, Southern Miss, West Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss began extending scholarship offers. Hunter continued to show out on the field and in the weight room more and more as time went on.
What eventually caught the attention of Auburn’s new coaching staff?
Hunter couldn’t have done more to help his cause on the field. His sophomore, junior, and senior years amounted to 5,761 yards rushing and 77 touchdowns. His numbers were outstanding, but some of the attention died down as he was unable to continue showcasing his talent in the camps. He was not one of the bigger running backs out there and this didn’t help with the situation he was dealt.
However, when Bryan Harsin took the job at Auburn, he needed running backs immediately. The search began for a worthy running back to come in and play right away. Hunter was familiar with Will Friend, the new offensive line coach, as he is from around the same area. From there, Harsin turned to his evaluation skills and fired up the tape. Undoubtedly, he was pleased with what he saw.
Hunter showed that he was capable of making big plays. He has excellent acceleration and was often the quickest guy on the field. The ability to break off visually impressive runs was evident on film. His effort always stands out on every play.
Hunter played on both offense and defense for his school. He never came out of the game as a senior and still was able to be a home-run hitter as a ball carrier. His ability to break tackles, run around defenders, and find the holes and creases was as good as any other running back on film for the 2021 class.
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Luckily for Auburn, Harsin has proven to be a master evaluator during his coaching career. Where others passed on Hunter due to his size or lack of being seen in person, Harsin wasted no time in extending an offer to the emerging running back. Of course, when Auburn came into the picture, many others did as well. Hunter was all Auburn and never blinked.
Hunter is simply picking up where he left off
What Hunter has been able to do in his first 5 collegiate games has been a major surprise to Auburn fans and the rest of college football. For those who have seen him play and know him personally, it’s business as usual. His work ethic and ability have been highly respected for the majority of his playing career to this point.
When he wasn’t lighting up the stat sheet and scoreboard, he was doing things such as squatting 600 pounds, deadlifting 600 pounds, and dunking the basketball: All in his cowboy boots. One of his former coaches has even referred to him as “a smaller version of Bo Jackson” due to his unique combination of strength and athleticism. Yes, that is extremely lofty, but he’s on pace to have similar production, at least.
Hunter is currently averaging 10.6 yards per carry. He leads the team in rushing with 447 yards on 42 carries. The most interesting development has been that he was used as the primary back on crucial 4th quarter drives in the last two games.
“Jarquez, that dude is a fighter. Good, Lord. He gives effort in practice and in games, and you just know he’s doing that in practice,” said tight end Tyler Fromm after Hunter’s 80-yard performance against LSU.
And Bo Nix added, “That dude is 110 percent effort every play. He’s so valuable. He runs the ball so dang hard.”
All of this is impressive, sure. What’s more impressive is that he’s doing so in the presence of the SEC’s former freshman of the year, Tank Bigsby. Bigsby was widely seen as being one of the nations best running backs coming into the season.
The tape doesn’t lie. Hunter has been the more consistent back. He has handled the zone run schemes better and more consistently. When there is so much as a small lane, Hunter has found it and made the most of it. That is why he is trusted in the pivotal moments. His success is not a fluke.
This is only the beginning for Hunter. He looks to be slowly earning more and more trust from the coaching staff and is moving closer to being Auburn’s third player to win SEC freshman of the year in a row.
