Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze names most surprising running back

Heading into fall camp, the Auburn football running backs room has been somewhat limited. It was reported earlier last month that both Jeremiah Cobb and Durell Robinson would be limited while Cobb is recovering from a finger injury and Robinson is recovering from a procedure on his toe in the spring.

The most recent news indicates that Robinson was out during the spring and has been participating this fall while Cobb is on the sidelines, along with fellow returner Damari Alston, who is recovering from a heel bruise. While the Tigers' top running backs have been out, the newcomers have been stepping up, especially true freshman Omar Mabson.

One of the youngest members of the team, Mabson reclassified from the recruiting class of 2026 and has been taking full advantage of the opportunities in fall camp and has been noticed by head coach Hugh Freeze.

"Man, the other guys are showing up," Freeze said Saturday, per Auburn Undercover. "Durell had some explosive runs. Alvin (Henderson), there's still a little learning curve for him, for sure. But I tell you the one who is flashing is Omar.

"That pad level he has, and he's patient, and he's just hard to (tackle). He's gonna finish moving forward, it seems, in the reps we have. We haven't gone live yet. But we're in thud, and they're thudding him pretty good, and he's finishing runs. I would say he would be the most surprising. So our confidence level is growing with that whole group."

According to a tweet from Justin Ferguson, even his fellow players have been noticing Mabson's efforts.

With star running back Jarquez Hunter now preparing for his first year in the NFL, the Tigers will likely play many of their running backs to fill the gap, and based on his preseason performance, Mabson could see early playing time this year.