Tank Bigsby on history of great Auburn backs: ‘I want to be the next one’

Auburn running back Tank Bigsby knows the history of great running backs on the Plains and is working hard on becoming the next one.

Tank Bigsby showed flashes of what could come as a freshman in 2020 as he shook off would-be tacklers and lowered his head to gain extra yards on his way to becoming Auburn’s feature back.

For the sophomore and former 5-star recruit, it is all part of him becoming just another great running back in the history of the Auburn program.

“I hold myself to account by working hard,” Bigsby said. “Coach Cadillac pushes me. He tells me how many great running backs have come through here. Of course, I want to be the next one.”

That coach, of course, is Cadillac Williams who, in four years on the Plains, rushed for 3,831 yards, second-most to only Bo Jackson, and an Auburn record 45 touchdowns.

Bigsby, who found himself having to work his way up the depth chart at the beginning of last season and battling injuries toward the end of the year, had some questions when Gus Malzahn was fired and Bryan Harsin was brought in, the most important being whether or not Williams would be kept on the staff.

The back was relieved when Cadillac was retained.

“(Williams) teaches me a lot of things,” Bigsby said. “Just knowing he was coming back to keep teaching me, it was great. Coach Cadillac is a great coach. He recruited me. He talks me through things.. He means a lot to all the running backs. He treats us all the same. He’s a great person.”

Now the star of the Auburn offense, Bigsby will be key to the Tigers success in 2021 yet he’s not going to make any major declarations of grandeur leading up to the season.

“I just let my actions speak for themselves. I feel like if I keep doing what I’m doing and keep my head straight, I’ll get there.”

Auburn football: Does Shaun Shivers still fit into the RB rotation?

Tank Bigsby and D.J. Williams have proven that they can be reliable at the running back position. Does this make Shaun Shivers an afterthought?

We have seen it many times: starter at a position gets injured, one of the backups comes in and starts doing well and, when back healthy, the guy who began the season as the No. 1 option doesn’t fit into the rotation any longer.

Could that be the case with Shaun Shivers?

It has become apparent that the Auburn offense is just different when Tank Bigsby — and to a lesser degree, D.J. Williams — are on the field. Bigsby, a true freshman who came with all of the hype of a 5-star running back, has proven his rating was right. He has made a less than mediocre offensive line look good at times as he has found holes by himself. He has also proven that he is a threat to catch the ball out of the backfield.

More importantly, he is willing to put down the beating and take the punishment that a back must take especially in a SEC-only schedule. He’s a playmaker first and foremost and was the key asset for Auburn in Saturday’s win against Arkansas.

When given a chance to make his mark, Williams, especially against the Razorbacks, showed why he should earn playing time as well. Despite being one of Auburn’s top-two backs returning from last season, Williams has earned just 16 carries so far in three games this year, including zero against Georgia. Against Arkansas, eight carries turned into 71 yards (good for 8.88 yards per carry) as the Tigers offense got rolling.

Bigsby and Williams are built for the brutality of a SEC season. Big bodies that allow them to hand out abuse as well as take it are key for these two. In the Arkansas game alone, Bigsby made the Razorbacks miss 14 tackles.

So what should the Tigers do with Shivers?

It is unfortunate that, after working all offseason to earn the starting job, he had to get hurt. He’s earned enough respect and praise from both teammates and the coaching staff to be named one of the four captains for the Tigers this season. He deserves to have a chance at getting his job back yet, would that be the right move for Chad Morris and company?

When Shivers returns, how much time do you give him to try and get back into that rhythm of the game? One series? Two? If he struggles, you have to pull him and go with exactly what worked against Arkansas and that was a dose of Bigsby and Williams.

It is apparent that Bigsby and Williams are the future of this offense at running back. Will they also be the present? Cadillac Williams, Morris and the entire staff have a tough decision on their hands but for me, the answer is simple: more Tank.

Auburn football: Shivers taking lead in crowded backfield race

The junior rushed for 286 yards and three touchdowns last season for the Tigers.

Xavier McKinney knows what Shaun Shivers is capable of and the rest of the SEC is about to get its chance to find out as well.

The Auburn back is leading the race for the starting running back position for the Tigers as the season is down to two weeks away.

“Shaun Shivers has had a great camp so far,” Gus Malzahn said on Saturday. “I know Coach (Carnell) Williams rotated the other guys in a lot more today. I didn’t look at the numbers, but it is pretty closely spread out as the other four are concerned with getting reps today. That was by design to see who steps up at that position.”

As a sophomore in 2019, Shivers rushed for 286 yards on 55 attempts and three touchdowns, including that hard-hitting one in the Iron Bowl to give Auburn the lead for good.

With Kentucky awaiting the Tigers on Sept. 26 in the season opener in Jordan-Hare Stadium, Malzahn and the coaching staff are trying to settle in on who will be the feature back behind Nix. Along with Shivers, main competitors are D.J. Williams, Harold Joiner, Tank Bigsby and Mark-Antony Richards.

Malzahn has been impressed with what he has seen out of Shivers the most of them all this fall.

“He is one of the bright spots, I think, on the whole team at this point, just with his positive energy and everything that goes with it,” Malzahn added. “He is making a really good bright spot on special teams, too.

“He finished the season on a high note. He is very confident and knows the offense inside and out. He is really good protector. He is just playing at a high level.”

Phil Steele has D.J. Williams in interesting spot on Auburn’s depth chart

The college football analyst has Williams lower than expected on the running back depth chart.

For a lot of reasons, it seems that D.J. Williams has the heads-up on the starting job in the Auburn backfield once the 2020 college football season begins, but that isn’t the case according to Phil Steele.

The legendary preview magazine is out on newsstands and Steele has Williams ranked in an interesting spot on Auburn’s running back depth chart: fourth.

Yes, Williams is ranked behind Shaun Shivers, Mark-Antony Richards and true freshman Tank Bigsby in his preview which, in my opinion, is shocking at the least. While Shivers is a talented back, him being the go-to and full-time back and 5-foot-7 and 180 pounds doesn’t seem that likely.

MORE: Auburn football: Ranking the running backs on 2020 depth chart

Williams, who had a breakout game against LSU last season by rushing for 130 yards and 13 carries, is more of a workhorse-type back who can definitely fill in the shoes of the departed Boobie Whitlow.

Bigsby, at 6-foot and 210 pounds, will likely have to work his way up the depth chart but is one of the highest-rated recruits to enroll at Auburn. Richards, who missed all last season following knee surgery, has been compared to Kerryon Johnson and will also play a big role in the Tigers’ backfield this season.