If anyone knows what level you need to reach to excel in Division I FBS football, it’s Auburn football’s Heisman hopeful Tank Bigsby.
The running back averaged six yards per rush in his freshman year, and while he didn’t find the endzone as often as he probably would have liked, he still established himself as a top RB in the SEC.
Luckily, it appears as though one of the Tigers’ 2021 backfield commits has what Bigsby sees as necessary to excel at this level.
Bigsby lauded 3-star Mississippi RB recruit Jarquez Hunter for his skillset and camp performance thus far:
Tank Bigsby calls freshman RB Jarquez Hunter an “explosive” running back. Bigsby mentioned that word multiple times in describing Hunter.
— Justin Hokanson (@_JHokanson) August 7, 2021
He says Hunter does everything he’s supposed to do.
When it comes to explosiveness, Bigsby knows the game. His trademark breakthrough runs were made possible by his burst through the gaps from the line of scrimmage. Given the weakness of his offensive line, Bigsby needed to pick an opening and be decisive about exploiting it.
Luckily, fellow RB Shaun Shivers also feels that Hunter’s explosiveness will help him contribute to the collective intimidation factor of Auburn football’s backfield:
Shivers on freshman RB Jarquez Hunter: "Strong, physical, downhill. Jarquez, he's real strong ... He hits the hole. He's explosive"
— Jordan D. Hill (@JordanDavisHill) August 7, 2021
Hunter will be competing with transfer Jordon Ingram from Central Michigan. While Ingram didn’t get experience in the MAC, he’s expected to be Hunter’s biggest roadblock to finding the field in his freshman season.
That said, SEC analyst Jake “Jboy” Crain is high on the idea of Hunter actually surpassing not only Ingram but Shivers as well in 2021, so let’s hope we’ll see competition in the backfield that brings out the best in all involved.