Auburn Tigers Star Running Back Reaches Major Season Milestone

Auburn Tigers Star Running Back Reaches Major Season Milestone

The top Auburn Tigers running back reached an impressive milestone on Saturday / John Reed-Imagn Images

On top of dominating Louisiana-Monroe 48-14, this game was extra meaningful for one of the Auburn Tigers’ biggest stars.

Jarquez Hunter, who has earned a reputation as one of college football’s best running backs, crossed the 1,000-yard threshold for the first time in his Auburn career.

Hunter rushed for 102 yards off 14 carries, bringing his season total to 1,015. This is the first 1,000-yard season an Auburn running back has had since Kerryon Johnson rushed for 1,391 yards in 2017.

"It is very special to me. I can add it to all the other things in Auburn. It’s very special. It helps when my offensive line, tight ends and receivers work to get me there. It was very special today."

Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze praised Hunter’s performance.

“We had our 1,000-yard rusher today in Jarquez (Hunter),” Freeze said. “Couldn’t be prouder of him.”

Hunter, as well as Auburn’s offensive line, were acknowledged for their impact in the locker room after the game.

“We presented Jarquez (Hunter) and the o-line with a football for the 1,000th yard,” Freeze said. “That was fun.”

Hunter has had an increased number of carries each season he has been with the program, leading to more production for him in the yards and touchdowns categories. 

The senior from Philadelphia, Miss. was not a highly-rated recruit. According to 247 Sports, Hunter was a three-star recruit and the No. 706 player nationally in the class of 2021. Apart from Auburn, Hunter only had offers from four SEC programs, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Tennessee.

Despite not being a highly-rated prospect, Hunter made an immediate impact and has made a place for himself among Auburn’s top running backs of all-time.

Hunter and the Tigers return to action next week when they host the No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies at Jordan-Hare Stadium in an attempt to keep their chances of qualifying for a bowl game alive. Kick off is set for 6:45 p.m. CT and SEC Network will carry the television broadcast.