Auburn misses out on transfer running back from Mississippi State

Former Mississippi State running back Dillon Johnson will be heading west.

The Auburn Tigers will have to keep looking for a new running back in the transfer portal.

Former Mississippi State running back Dillon Johnson announced his decision Tuesday after entering the transfer portal, but he won’t be heading to the Plains. Johnson announced that he intended to transfer to Washington to play for the Huskies, spurning Auburn, Louisville and South Carolina in the process.

Johnson had been a target for Auburn since he entered the transfer portal in December (subscription required). He’ll join Washington with two years of eligibility left to team up with returning quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to improve on a 2022 campaign that saw the Huskies become Alamo Bowl champions.

For Auburn, meanwhile, [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag] remains the top back at Auburn after the departure of Tank Bigsby to the NFL draft. Hunter was still productive alongside Bigsby in 2022, however, netting seven touchdowns and averaging 6.4 yards per carry over the course of the year. Who Auburn’s second running back behind Hunter will be for the 2023 season is still unknown, and after Johnson chose Washington, the team will still be searching in its first offseason with head coach Hugh Freeze.

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