Despite not getting many rushing attempts during the first couple of games and battling some injuries toward the end of the season, Auburn freshman running back Tank Bigsby still had a productive year, rushing for 834 yards and five touchdowns, often showcasing why he is so highly thought of as the future of the Tigers running game.
The people over at Pro Football Focus see that potential for Bigsby as they have ranked the LaGrange, Ga. native as the top returning running back in 2021.
Bigsby was one of the most impressive true freshmen of the 2020 class, finishing as the fifth-most valuable first-year non-quarterback in the country, per PFF Wins Above Average (WAA).
The 2020 four-star recruit — who ranked 40th nationally, according to 247Sports — was easily among the most elusive ball carriers in college football last year, his strong contact balance on full display as he came away with the fifth-most broken tackles per attempt (0.34) in the FBS.
The 6-foot, 204-pound freshman was the third-highest-graded ball carrier in the FBS, behind Javonte Williams and Khalil Herbert, before suffering an injury in Week 12 against Tennessee.
He is the clear favorite to claim the title of No. 1 running back in 2021.
A 5-star running back in the 2020 class, Bigsby quickly became the go-to man for former head coach Gus Malzahn and offensive coordinator Chad Morris in the middle of last season. Bigsby rushed for more than 100 yards four different times including a career-high 192 against Mississippi State in the regular season finale.