Georgia rallies, survives on missed field goal to beat Ohio State, reach national title game. The Tigers were nowhere near the spotlight when the 2010 season began, but thanks to Newton, they owned it when the year concluded. As a matter of policy, Sports Reference only reports the results of games as played on the field. As you can see, the numbers are near idential to James, though Freeman played one more season and had considerably more carries. Fournette, with 2,987 yards, has put himself in position to make a run at Walkers career SEC rushing record of 5,259 yards. Ball scored his 39th touchdown of the 2011 season during the bowl game, tying him with former Oklahoma State star and future NFL Hall of Famer Barry Sanders for most touchdowns in a single FBS season. . Collins improved every year and he opened his Razorbacks career with 1,026 yards. Tucker Frederickson (1962-64) Although he barely had more than1,000 yards for his career a number playersregularly top in their freshman season these days Frederickson is considered one of the most complete backs in Auburn history. Regarded as one of college football's top running backs over the past few seasons, Bigsby came just 30 yards shy of posting back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons at Auburn. McFadden finished second to Tim Tebow in the 2007 Heisman vote after rushing for 1,830 yards and 16 touchdowns. 1 overall in 1986), eventually starting his pro football career with the Oakland Raiders. This may be the most talent Auburn has had in the running back room in some time but it also faces the most questions. What we know for sure is that Auburn will have a new lead back after JaTarvious Whitlow decided to transfer from the program after leading the team in rushing the past two seasons. Capped off by the addition of fiery 4-star running back Jamarion Wilcox last week, the Wildcats managed the 31st-best conglomerate of recruiting trail talent in the nation. Still, we shouldn't forget who Borghi was back in 2019 when he was fully healthy: a player with immense speed and one of the top receiving backs in the entire country. It is not a secret that Auburns coaching staff is looking to run the ball early and often this season. He came back with consecutive 1,000 yards seasons to etch his name in the Georgia football record books. Tank is going to steamroll through defenses this fall. This Nebraska football roster has famous All-Americans, Nebraska running backs in the NFL, and Cornhuskers players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Why he's here: Elliott edges Ohio State's all-time leader in rushing yards as a freshman, J.K. Dobbins, in this spot. He also added 20 more rushing touchdowns to his total. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. We are entering the post-Tank Bigsby era of Auburn football. Our exclusive database, featuring the most in-depth collection of NCAA player performance data. An award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South. Hunter has also proven to be the best pass-catcher out of the backfield over the past couple of seasons. Auburn went undefeated during the 1993 season, led by White. Lloyd Nix was one of the best position switches in Auburn football history. Cameron Newton was the most electric player in college football in his one season with the Tigers. Thankfully for them, they have Tank Bigsby, one of the best running backs in the nation, and a quality backup in Jarquez Hunter. South Carolina has had just two 1,000-yard seasons since 2000. About Saturday Down South | Ethics and Editorial Standards | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Other Conferences: Big Ten | ACC | Pac-12. Whether or not Freeze and Montgomery end up giving him any serious playing time is to be determined over the course of the offseason, but Jackson has been praised for his work ethic - hence hisreception of a scholarship. Georgia destroys TCU to repeat as national champs, Rapid Reaction: LSU dominates Purdue in short-handed Citrus Bowl wipeout, Rapid Reaction: Mississippi State swings its sword, wins ReliaQuest Bowl on last-second field goal, Rapid Reaction: Unreal! Jarquez Hunter should be the lead man in the backfield next season, but what does the RB room look like. The Tigers faced a coaching change during his tenure, and the ups and downs that come with coaching changes fell on the back of the quarterback. We'll start by ranking the top 10 returning players at each position and naming one sleeper who could make some noise this season. Sullivan had his best season in 1971 passing for over 2,500 yards and throwing 20 touchdowns. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Harold Joiner has not been used yet as a tradition running back but has already made some big plays. Alston also is only a true freshman, so unless he has a Hunter-like jump, he may be relegated to clean up duty alongside Ingram. But in Alabamas share-the-carries system, that was Henrys lone 1,000-yard season. We do not target any individuals under the age of 21. No FBS running back churned out 10 or more yards on a higher rate of carries over that period than Brooks (23.4%). A former freelance journalist from Philadelphia, Brett has made the trek down to SEC country to cover the greatest conference in college football. Auburn has had two Heisman Trophy winners that have played the quarterback position, with numerous others guiding the Tigers to championships and big wins. 1 running back in 2021. He earned an 80.6 receiving grade for the year, making him one of two running backs to generate a grade above 80.0 as both a receiver and a runner. Georgia destroys TCU to repeat as national champs, Rapid Reaction: LSU dominates Purdue in short-handed Citrus Bowl wipeout, Rapid Reaction: Mississippi State swings its sword, wins ReliaQuest Bowl on last-second field goal, Rapid Reaction: Unreal! Career stats: 4,303 yards rushing, 43 TD; 272 yards receiving, 2 TD. Yeldon often is overlooked in the Tides run of great running backs under Nick Saban, but Yeldon came the closest to producing three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. Fans should be excited about Hunter's return and should expect him to continue to improve upon the standard that he has set as an explosive, shifty back that's hard to bring down. He ran for 1,816 yards that final season, breaking Bo JacksonsAuburn record. He remains the only professional athlete to be selected as an All-Star in both baseball and football. Tre Mason (2011-13) A two-year starter for the Tigers, Mason posted more than 1,000 yards in both his sophomore and junior seasons. Only three running backs have won the Heisman Trophy in the last two decades, but in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, the running back was the key ingredient to an electric offense. White also had a bit of an interception problem, which doesnt help his stat line, but White was a leader for an undefeated team that faced a ton of adversity. Newton continues to electrify the game of football in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers. Pat Sullivan was the Tigers first Heisman Trophy winner, and the first to win the award for a school that was previously coached by John Heisman. In his final two seasons with the Tigers, Leard led Auburn to victories that no one expected, but also battled in games that he shouldnt have, even being unseated by true freshman Gabe Gross after an injury in the 1998 season. Auburn running back Tank Bigsby (4) runs the ball during Auburn football A-Day spring game at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, April 17, 2021. The Badgers are an old school, run-first team during a time when passing and quarterback play is becoming more and more popular. Positional coach Cadillac Williams has a bevy of talented backs with a variety of skill sets but they have little experience. We do not target any individuals under the age of 21. Between 2009 and 2017, Auburn had a streak of 1,000-yard rushers. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. Bo won the Heisman trophy with a monster year, posting 1,786 yards and 17 touchdowns, both Auburn records at the time. Here is a look at how the talented group sorts itself out. With plenty to choose from, we narrowed it down to a top five. He led the country in yards per game at 162.75 almost 15 more than Henry. Keenan Britt's recruitment is a while away he's a member of the 2026 recruiting class. Between 2009 and 2017, Auburn had a streak of 1,000-yard rushers. Alston was the newbie in the rotation this season, and by default didn't see a lot of playing time - despite this, he finished inside the top 10 of PFF's individual offensive grades for the Tigers in 2022. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. And remember, this has nothing to do with pro potential. How many running backs can say they returned to college football's toughest conference after a season-ending ACL injury just as dominant? The 6-foot, 209-pound Bigsby wass described by Gus Malzahn as a one-play drive type of guy who has great balance, great instincts and can break tackles. He is a perfect fit for the Auburn offense he just has no collegiate experience and did not get to earn reps in spring. Brooks opted out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19 concerns, but he will be back for the 2021 campaign very good news for the Sooners. Adam Sparks, Adam Cole Tank Bigsby has made it official: Hes going pro. And remember, this has nothing to do with pro potential. Yes, Chubb was better than Gurley (3,285 career rushing yards, 36 TDs). Do you have a sports website? Please update it here. He will have one year of eligibility in Bloomington. Why he's here: He doesn't have the gargantuan rushing numbers some of these players in this list do, but when Fournette was healthy, there was no running back more talented this decade. His strong contact balance was on full display as he came away with the fifth-most broken tackles per attempt (0.34) in the FBS. Career stats (2014-17): 947 carries, 5,621 yards, 60 TDs; 79 catches, 814 yards receiving, 4 TDs, Accomplishments: First-team All-Pac-12 (2015); Second-team All-Pac-12 (2014, 2017); Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year (2014); Pac-12 career rushing touchdowns leader (60). That grew to 1,100 as a sophomore and surged to 1,577 as a featured back this past season. Why he's here: Perhaps the most underrated SEC running back of all-time, I'm not going to underrate the Cedartown, Ga., native here. Auburn's running back room isn't the deepest, but the Tigers may have one of the best one-two punches at running back in the country. He went on to guide the Tigers to their first national title. Bowl Record: 46 Bowls, 24-20-2, .543 W-L% (Major Bowls), Ranked in AP Poll: 40 Times (Preseason), 40 Times (Final), 602 Weeks (Total), Heisman Winners: Pat Sullivan (1971), Bo Jackson (1985), Cam Newton (2010), Stadium: Jordan-Hare Stadium (cap. The 5-foot-8, 165-pound back shook defenders on the regular, recording the eighth-most broken tackles per attempt in the FBS (0.33). Bijan Robinson (Texas RB 5) you have my attention sir. The redshirt freshman has drawn comparisons to Kerryon Johnson. Career stats (2014-16): 632 carries, 3,922 yards, 21 TDs; 99 catches, 1,206 yards, 10 TDs; 26.4 yards career KOR, 2 return TDs, Accomplishments: Paul Hornung Award (2015); Jet Award (2015); Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year (2015); First-team All-Pac-12 (2015, 2016). Derick Hall is headed to the projected Super Bowl winner in this latest mock draft. Rodriguez finished as the second-highest-graded running back of the 2020 season (92.4) and ranked second to UNC's, BYU produced an impressive list of breakout players in 2020; among them was running back, Yes, you read that correctly: Allgeier had only 26 career carries entering the 2020 season but still managed to finish the year with a 93.1 rushing grade, the second-best behind. Robinson runs violently and will be one of the toughest guys to bring down in 2021 he averaged over 4.0 yards after contact per attempt and broke 23 tackles in 2020. Do you have a blog? Here's an overview of Auburn's 2023 running back room (scholarship players only) as it currently sits: Jarquez Hunter, Jr. Hunter took a dip in YPC as his Auburn learned an important lesson last year. Hunter can do that in this offense, where most of the attention will be focused on Tank Bigsby. The last Tigers running back to do that was Onterio McCalebb in 2011 (32 catches for 344 yards). Auburn has a history of success at the running back position. Had he chose to return to Wisconsin in 2020, he'd have a shot to set the all-time rushing record and beat former Badger, Ron Dayne. Lattimore had one as a freshman in 2010 and would have had more had it not been for two devastating knee injuries. The former SEC Newcomer of the Year eclipsed the 1,000 rushing yard mark this past season, and he is poised for a monster season in 2022. Now that Bigsby has declared for the NFL Draft, the Tigers have to reevaluate their running back room - which, thankfully, is not barren like some of the other position groups on the roster. His final year on campus is what makes him one of the best backs in SEC history. We support responsible gambling. He also averaged 10.5 yards per reception and caught two touchdown passes. The 6-foot, 204-pound freshman was the third-highest-graded ball carrier in the FBS behind. Ben Leard had an on-again-off-again love affair with the Auburn fanbase. He wasn't as prolific as the two other Wisconsin ballcarriers in this list, but warrants mention among them all the same. For those who dont know, running backs actually do matter in college football. Disappearing in big game situations is not an ideal trait for running backs, so Hunter needs to step up in big time situations in order to take another step forward in this backfield. Collins left after his junior year with 3,703 career rushing yards second all-time in program history. Defensive line has been a point of emphasis for Auburn in the 2024 recruiting class. Nick Rolovichs run-and-shoot offense produces one of the highest pass-play rates in college football (67%, though 14 percentage points lower than Leach's Air Raid). If Gore can improve upon his 84 snaps on the receiving front, an area where he flashed last season, he can climb even higher up this list come 2021. Auburn has a long history of producing elite running backs but none were better than Bo Jackson. Why he's here: One of the most special all-purpose players in college football history, Barkley did it all for the Nittany Lions who found creative ways to get his hands on the football as a junior in 2017. Auburn Tigers School History Seasons: 120 (1902 to 2022) Record (W-L-T): 767-454-43 Adjusted Record (W-L-T): 770-452-42 Conferences: SEC, Southern, Ind When 1999 rolled around, Leard returned to the helm and helped guide the Tigers for two more seasons. Burger carries a record of 19-3-2. Deuce Vaughn took some souls yesterday pic.twitter.com/MARSIbptuA, Anthony Treash (@PFF_Anthony) December 6, 2020. Jackson still holds the record for total rushing yards (4,303), rushing yards per game for a career (113.2), and most 100-yard games (21). Dameyune Craig was a fiery signal-caller for the Tigers that filled a role from day one for Auburn when he arrived on campus. Travis Tidwell was one of the best quarterbacks in Auburn history. 247Sports noted in their analysis that "notone physical trait that stands out among the rest but (Cobb) possesses a well-rounded skill set and has a good feel for the position.". Auburns all-time rushing leader is one of the best to ever do it in college football and it should come as no shock that he was included in ESPNs ranking of the 100 best running backs over the last 60 years (subscription required). He led the Big Ten in total yards (rushing, receiving, return) and was the Heisman frontrunner that fall exiting the first two months of the season en route to his second straight conference player of the year honor. He is now the head coach for the Samford University Bulldogs. Career stats (2014-17): 758 carries, 4,769 yards, 44 TDs; 31, 361 yards receiving, 4 TDs, Accomplishments: First-team All-SEC (2014); Second-team All-SEC (2017); SEC Freshman of the Year (2014). The Tigers have had quarterbacks go on to the NFL, while others are still coaches in the college game. For those who dont know, running backs actually do matter in college football. 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