Perhaps the most notable thing from Auburn football’s season opener on Saturday was how well Bo Nix played, but following that is the clinic that the Tigers’ running backs put on. If the first half was the Tank Bigsby show, the second half was the Jarquez Hunter show.
The true freshman out of Philadelphia, Mississippi hit the field in the third quarter and showed off his impressive speed and drive. Hunter had only nine rushing attempts in the game for 110 yards and one touchdown, making him the Tigers’ second-leading rusher behind Bigsby.
He was incredibly physical, reminiscent of Shaun Shivers versus Alabama. Most interesting of all, Hunter is the first Auburn football true freshman to post a 100+ yard season opener since Ontario McCalebb in 2009. McCalebb racked up 148 yards in his debut versus Louisiana Tech.
With 110 yds vs Akron, Jarquez Hunter is 1st @AuburnFootball freshman to post a 100-yd rushing game in a season opener since Onterio McCalebb (148 yds vs La Tech in 2009.)
— Scott Scroggins (@ScrogginsNoggin) September 5, 2021
Last Auburn Fr. to rush for 100 yds in a season opener before McCalebb? Bo Jackson vs Wake Forest in 1982.
Hunter joins an elite company in McCalebb and Bo Jackson, and it’s even better with Hunter’s designation as a 3-star recruit. Hunter committed to Auburn football back in February, choosing the program over Mississippi State, Southern Miss, Iowa, and Memphis. He was one of Harsin’s top targets from early on.
According to PFF, via Auburn Wire, Jarquez Hunter was Auburn football’s highest-ranked player in the season opener:
"Hunter scored a 92.4 rating according to PFF. He scored higher than Tank Bigsby at 91.4 and Bo Nix at 91.2."
There’s a reason that running back Shaun Shivers referred to Auburn as “RBU” after the 60-10 victory. It seems that the plans for the true freshman to take some of the load off of Tank Bigsby are working out fantastically.