A duo of Auburn seniors were named to the All-SEC Team this week. Offensive superstars Jarquez Hunter and KeAndre Lambert-Smith received the accolade from the conference, with the former earning a spot on the coveted ‘First Team’.
Hunter, who was named to the Preseason First-Team back in August, lived up to expectations during his final season as an Auburn Tiger. The senior from Philadelphia, MS set career-best marks in carries (187), yards (1,201), and rushing touchdowns (8), while finishing with his highest yards per carry (6.4) since his freshman season, when he averaged 6.7 yards per attempt on just 89 carries.
The senior’s strong season vaulted him into fourth place on the Auburn all-time rushing list with 3,371 rushing yards. He finished behind just James Brooks, Cadillac Williams, and Bo Jackson on the list. Hunter was one of two running backs to earn a spot on the First Team, sharing his placement with SEC Offensive Player of the Year Dylan Sampson, who finished the regular season as the leading rusher in the conference. The Tennessee star was the only back in the conference to finish with more than 200 carries, while himself and Hunter were the only two that surpassed the century mark in rushing yards.
First year Tiger KeAndre Lambert-Smith also earned a spot on the All-Conference Team, although the senior had to settle for Second Team honors. Auburn’s leading receiver, Lambert-Smith finished just 19 yards short of becoming the third ever Tiger to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in a season. His 981 receiving yards finished third among all pass catchers in the conference, while his 8 receiving touchdowns finished tied for second behind only LSU’s Kyren Lacy, who had 9. Alabama’s Ryan Williams (857 yards, 8 touchdowns) and Missouri’s Luther Burden (676 yards, 6 touchdowns) earned spots on the First Team ahead of Lambert-Smith.
Auburn’s football season may not have gone the way the two seniors had wanted it to, but both players should be proud of their individual efforts nonetheless. The pair of seniors cemented their Auburn legacy with fantastic performances in an otherwise lost season, helping create optimism around the program as it transitions into the Hugh Freeze era.
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