On3 names Auburn running back in preseason top 10

Will Auburn’s running back room shine in 2023?

Auburn’s backfield for the 2023 season is getting some hype.

On3’s Twitter account released its top 10 running backs for the upcoming college football season and Tigers fans will find their pick for No. 5 familiar — it’s [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag], who shared a backfield with NFL hopeful Tank Bigsby during the 2022 season. Hunter looks to be the lead back in 2023 and is set to share the backfield with USF transfer Brian Battie.

Last year, Hunter had 104 attempts rushing for 668 yards and 7 touchdowns at an average of 6.4 yards per attempt. He was also valuable in the receiving game, catching two touchdowns and racking up 13.2 yards per catch in the passing game. Being able to produce like so with Bigsby in the backfield makes the decision to feature Hunter as the lead back understandable, and expectations be high during Hugh Freeze’s first year as head coach.

Auburn is set to face two of the running backs on this list — The Rebels’ Quinshon Judkins and the Razorbacks’ Reheim Sanders — during the 2023 season, so Hunter will have ample chance to prove himself against his peers.

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