Jake ‘Jboy’ Crain had Fly War Eagle expecting a breakout season from Auburn football true freshman running back Jarquez Hunter.
That said, the rest of the world is quickly learning just how potent the first-year rusher’s play can be as the change of pace back to Tank Bigsby’s physical rushing.
Hunter has wheels and typically uses them to get to the outside and outrun defenders down the sideline. On his historic 94-yard run against Alabama State Week 2 (an AU rushing record) he was able to dart down the middle of the field because the offensive line created a hole you could fit an 18-wheeler through.
But against Penn State, his spectacular hurdle of Joey Porter put everyone on notice. Including Bleacher Report, who listed him as one of the top true freshman of the 2021 college football season:
"[Jarquez Hunter] is proving he deserves plenty of run as the perfect complementary back to Bigsby’s rugged, between-the-tackles style.Whether Hunter is gracefully leaping over defenders like he did against the Nittany Lions or scampering around defenders, he’s been effective.He has 26 carries for 320 yards and a pair of touchdowns, averaging 12.3 yards per carry. After going for more than 100 yards in the first two games against the cupcakes, Hunter had a solid day against great defense in Happy Valley, running nine times for 63 yards.It’s the perfect one-two punch for the Tigers, who look better than expected."
As B/R’s Brad Shepard points out, Hunter’s first two performances were impressive, but Akron and Alabama State were hardly litmus tests for the Tigers.
That he was able to collect seven yards per carry against a team right on the cusp of the College Football Playoff picture speaks very well to the true freshman Auburn football RB’s chances of keeping up this level of play as key SEC matchups loom against LSU, Georgia, and Arkansas in the coming weeks.