Vanderbilt Football Recruit: SI All-American Candidate Jarquez Hunter
The college football recruiting season is in full swing, and the Vanderbilt Commodores staff of head coach Derek Mason have been blessed with more time to put into their efforts during the pandemic.
In having extra time to evaluate potential players, coaches have possibly offered more scholarships to players in this cycle than ever before, and many players are making their decisions earlier in the process to guarantee their place among the recruits in the school of their choice.
On such athlete the Commodores are involved with is Mississippi running back, and SI All-American candidate Jarquez Hunter. The Philadelphia native and Neshoba Central standout is a smaller back at 5'11" 197-pounds but has all the skills and intangibles teams want in a back.
Also, a track & field athlete, Hunter's speed is outstanding, having posted an 11.04 personal best in the 100 meters while also participating in both the 4x100 and 4x200 team relays.
Along with speed, Hunter is a chiseled physical specimen far beyond his age, which allows him to run with a physical style that some describe as reckless abandon. That style is perhaps best defined by his 590-pound deadlift number, which shows in his power as a runner.
Perhaps the most powerful critique of Hunter comes from his SI All-American profile that describes him as a three-down back, which seems to be more of a rarity today when players often are used in more specialized ways according to specific talents.
Currently, the holder of 13 offers Hunter has along with Vanderbilt includes fellow SEC members, Auburn, Ole Miss, and Tennessee. Others include Memphis, MTSU, Arkansas StateSouthern Miss, and Tulane.
At the moment, the recruiting "experts" have Ole Miss as the team currently leading for Hunter's signature, though he has not put out an official list for himself as of yet.
Still, the Commodores and others have a chance to make their case for this talented back, which will likely continue between now and signing day even if there is a commitment beforehand.
Hunter's recruitment is one to watch for Vanderbilt fans as he is the type player with the potential to improve the running back position for the Commodores immediately.
Follow Greg on Twitter @GregAriasSports and @SIVanderbilt or Facebook at Vanderbilt Commodores-Maven
A 29 year veteran of radio in the Middle Tennessee area and 16 years in digital and internet media having covered the Tennessee Titans for Scout Media and TitanInsider.com before joining the Sports Illustrated family of networks.