There is plenty of shake-up within the Auburn offense, especially at the running back position.
Despite the departure of [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag], Auburn is still solid in the running game as a pair of returners in [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] and [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag] plan to boost their production in 2023. Mix that in with USF transfer [autotag]Brian Battie[/autotag] and dark horse [autotag]Sean Jackson[/autotag], and Auburn is poised to become one of the SEC’s top rushing units.
The excitement of the running back room took a hit on Thursday with the news of suspensions being handed down by the University which allegedly involves Hunter.
No matter what comes of the situation, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and company are set with a stable of talented backs that should fill the void. The next man up is Battie, and he slides in as one of the top running backs in the SEC says Patrick Conn of College Sports Wire.
Conn shared his top SEC running back rankings this week and has placed Battie in the No. 4 spot behind Montrell Johnson of Florida, Rocket Sanders of Arkansas, and Quinshon Judkins of Ole Miss. Conn says that Battie’s versatility is what makes him so special.
Battie is a late addition to our rankings following the indefinite suspension of third-year running back Jarquez Hunter. Battie brings speed and big-play ability to the offense. Not to mention, he is a weapon as a kick returner. Provided that Hunter is suspended when the season kicks off, expect a healthy dose of Battie and Damari Alston.
In three seasons at South Florida, Battie rushed for 1,841 yards and 10 touchdowns while building up an additional 1,427 returning yards and three scores. Last season was Battie’s break-out season as a running back. He led the Bulls in rushing with 1,185 yards and eight touchdowns.
Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Taylor on Twitter @TaylorJones__
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1364]