How many running backs can say they returned to college football's toughest conference after a season-ending ACL injury just as dominant? BYU produced an impressive list of breakout players in 2020; among them was running back Tyler Allgeier, who walked on to the team back in 2018 and spent most of the 2019 season at off-ball linebacker. He followed that up with a career-high 46 carries for 189 yards against Florida in the SEC Championship before finishing it out with three touchdowns vs. Clemson in the national title game. Cameron Newton is the only Heisman winner that has also won a national title for the Tigers. Mason took home the SECs Offensive Player of the Year award in 2013 along with a first-team All-SEC selection. And remember, this has nothing to do with pro potential. All-purpose threats. 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. Adam Sparks, Adam Cole Tank Bigsby has made it official: Hes going pro. Snubs include Todd Gurley, a Heisman winner and a guy with over 5,000 career rushing yards. Between 2009 and 2017, Auburn had a streak of 1,000-yard rushers. Before Jason Campbell wore No. Please update it here. Tank Bigsby is a created player in NCAA 14, PFF Draft (@PFF_College) October 10, 2020. Nix started his Auburn career at running back, but was moved to quarterback before the 1957 season. If Auburn is going to succeed on offense this year, Bigsby will be one of the biggest reasons why. Although, there may be someone on the depth chart that could potentially take those passing snaps away from Hunter. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound bulldozer saved his best when Alabama needed it most, rushing for over 200 yards in four of his final nine games including a 44-carry, 271-yard explosion in an Iron Bowl win at Auburn. Nix carries a career record of 19-0-1 as a starter. The former Seattle Seahawk would have a prosperous NFL career which included NFL MVP. Below is a list of PFFs top 10 returning running backs. Many of Elliott's best outings over his final two seasons came against nationally-ranked competition, including a win over Alabama in New Orleans. 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. The Tigers have had quarterbacks go on to the NFL, while others are still coaches in the college game. Auburn has a long history of producing elite running backs but none were better than Bo Jackson. 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. Please check your email for a confirmation. He didnt give show-stopping performances, but he won Auburn a lot of ballgames. 2. Sullivan to Beasley was one of the most well-known calls in college football during the early 1970s. Best game of career: Vs San Jose State (9/10/22) - 2 carries, 38 yards, This may be the most intriguing pickup of Auburn's 2023 recruiting class. 5 overall in the 2005 NFL draft, playing seven years in the pros. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. After rushing for 1,213 yards as a sophomore (256 against Alabama) as the Tigers nearly won the national title, he battled injuries for much of his junior season before exploding as a senior: 1,786 yards, 17 touchdowns and the narrowest of Heisman wins over Iowas Chuck Long. He'll be on roster to provide depth in what should be a very talented and well-balanced running back room in 2023. We present them here for purely educational purposes. Robinson has been a key backup over the last four years and is set to take on a starting role in his super senior season this fall. 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. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Leard finished his career No. Heading into the new year and following the same script with our quarterbacks power rankings, we've slotted college football's Top 10 running backs of the decade, a who's who list of superstars with a heavy emphasis on national relevance. Mason had back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons in 2012 and 2013, when he led Auburn to the BCS championship game. He went on to guide the Tigers to their first national title. Why he's here: We're cheating here with an 11th player and McCaffrey won't be a popular pick inside Top 10 considering there are guys with considerably more rushing yards, but he was an all-purpose freak at Stanford who was a threat to go the distance every time he touched the football and underrated nationally given those strengths. Bo Jackson (1982-85) Jackson isnt just one of the greatest running backs in SEC history, hes also one of the conferences best athletes, period. List of Auburn Tigers in the NFL Draft. Career stats:592 carries, 3,961 yards, 43 TDs; 58 catches, 449 yards, TD, Accomplishments: Big Ten Most Valuable Player (2015); Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year (2015); Second-team All-American (2015); First-team All-Big Ten (2015); AmecheDayne Running Back of the Year (2015); CFP national champion (2015); Big Ten champion (2014); James E. Sullivan Award (2014). 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). WebVisit ESPN to view the Auburn Tigers team stats for the 2021 season. What I Dont Like: As much as Bigsby has shined on the field over the last two seasons, the biggest question will be if the star running back can stay healthy. He is the clear favorite to claim the title of No. 3 position all time for the Tigers. What I Dont Like: Limited snaps have not allowed Ingram to play to his full potential. 4 on Auburns all-time list with completion percentage, and in the No. What I Like: Alston has become one of Auburns biggest assets off the field, essentially being the best recruiter for Auburn this past year. When 1999 rolled around, Leard returned to the helm and helped guide the Tigers for two more seasons. Vaughn can take defenders' souls in the open field with his blend of quickness and agility. Between 2009 and 2017, Auburn had a streak of 1,000-yard rushers. Career stats (2017-19): 926 carries, 6,174 yards, 50 TDs; 42 catches, 402 yards, 5 TDs, Accomplishments: Doak Walker Award (2018, 2019); Unanimous first-team All-American (2018, 2019); AP Big Ten Newcomer of the Year (2017); Big Ten Running Back of the Year (2018, 2019); Big Ten Freshman of the Year (2017); Consensus First-team All-Big Ten (2017, 2018, 2019); All-time Freshman Season Rushing Record (1,977 yards). He ran for 1,816 yards that final season, breaking Bo JacksonsAuburn record. He finished with 1,547 yards averaging 7.1 per carry. It's difficult to imagine any school having a better 10-year parade of running backs than the one Auburn put together from 1976-85. Ealy was a 2019 four-star recruit who didn't put up monstrous box score numbers in 2020, but he consistently showed up and got the job done. Burger carries a record of 19-3-2. What I Dont Like: Splitting carries between Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter is already going to be tough this season, so adding a third man to the rotation consistently would be quite a task. Let's take a look at one of Auburn's best position groups: the running backs. In years that Auburn has had a dominant rushing attack, there has always been a change of pace style rusher that helps prevent injury and provides a spark to the offense. 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. Career stats (2015-17): 671 carries, 3,843 yards, 43 TDs; 103 catches, 1,195 yards, 8 TDs; 2 KOR TDs, Accomplishments: Consensus All-American (2017); Paul Hornung Award (2017); Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year (2016, 2017); AmecheDayne Running Back of the Year (2016, 2017); Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year (2017); First-team All-Big Ten (2016, 2017). The true freshman is the fourth highest-rated running back in program history and should earn immediate playing time. If you feel like you're losing control over your gambling experience, call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, PA, WV), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-888- 532-3500(Virginia) 1-800-522-4700 (NV, TN), 1-800-522-4700 (CO, TN), 1-855-2CALLGA (IL), 1-800-270-7117 (MI). He will have one year of eligibility in Bloomington. 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). Bijan Robinson (Texas RB 5) you have my attention sir. Harold Joiner has not been used yet as a tradition running back but has already made some big plays. 1. Auburn has a long history of producing elite running backs but none were better than Bo Jackson. Rapid Reaction: Back-to-back! Ingram ran 274 times that season for an Alabama-record 1,658 yards. 1 min read. One of the league's best running backs during his heyday, Alexander averaged 1,500 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns per season from 2001-05. Auburn Football: The 10 Best Running Backs in Tigers History 1 Bo Jackson. 2 Carnell Williams. 3 James Brooks. 4 Stephen Davis. 5 Joe Cribbs. 6 Ronnie Brown. 7 Brent Fullwood. 8 Tucker Frederickson. 9 Rudi Johnson. 10 Ben Tate. These power rankings are adjusted based on coach, quarterback and the market each season. Yes, Chubb was better than Gurley (3,285 career rushing yards, 36 TDs). Why he's here: Cook averaged 6.5 yards per carry during his career in Tallahassee as one of the most lethal offensive weapons in program history. https://auburnwire.usatoday.com/2022/04/12/auburn-football-bo-jackson-best-college-running-back-espn/, ESPNs ranking of the 100 best running backs over the last 60 years, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. The former five-star dubbed as the next Adrian Peterson, Fournette only started 24 games of the 31 he appeared in during his short-lived tenure and still managed 19 games over 100 yards rushing including outings of 284, 244, 233, 228 and 212. 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. Williams will need to be more consistent to stay as the lead back because he will certainly be pushed by the rest if the running backs. See our list of forfeits and vacated games for more details. Freeman could do a little bit of everything, whether you needed a short-yardage burst on third down or a game-breaking big-gainer. Why he's here: It didn't feel right excluding Oregon's all-time leading rusher from this list, nor James who was equally vital during the Ducks' rise to national relevance. His 1,786 yards were the second-most in SEC history at the time, behind Hershal Walkers 1,891 yards in 1981. The Tigers were nowhere near the spotlight when the 2010 season began, but thanks to Newton, they owned it when the year concluded. South Carolina has had just two 1,000-yard seasons since 2000. 2005-2023 CBS INTERACTIVE ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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 QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | iOL | DI | EDGE | LB | CB | S. 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). There's not a particular area of weakness in his game (outside of the fact that he's still raw, as any high school talent), which is great news for the Tigers, who would expect him to take over the starting role as early as 2024 if Jarquez Hunter were to declare for the NFL Draft. 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. Auburn has a history of success at the running back position. Robinson was a five-star recruit in the 2020 class, according to 247Sports, and dazzled down the stretch of his true freshman campaign. Or, more specifically, the second half of that season, when he carried Auburn to an SEC title and a (Allen Eyestone / Palm Beach Post / USA TODAY Network). Cobb has some serious potential to become a great weapon in Hugh Freeze's offense. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. The perfect weapon in the Ducks' NASCAR offense, James often touched it three or four consecutive plays and would wear down linebackers trying to wrap him. 1984 NFL supplemental draft of USFL and CFL players, "1984 NFL Supplemental Draft of USFL and CFL Players", Chris Woods NFL Football Statistics | Pro-Football-Reference.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Auburn_Tigers_in_the_NFL_Draft&oldid=1091251999, Lists of National Football League draftees by college football team, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 3 June 2022, at 04:12. And a good feel he has. Georgia rallies, survives on missed field goal to beat Ohio State, reach national title game. How they use this talent - and more specifically how often they use that talent - will be determined over the course of the next nine months. Some might consider this ranking disrespectful, as Hall led the country with 1,562 rushing yards in 2020, but lets not forget that he also saw 28 more carries than any other back and was one of six backs with over 200 carries. 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). Auburn looks to extend its winning streak to four games on Wednesday on the road at LSU. 5. 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. He entered his sophomore season as the talk of the SEC and was even better. Campbell managed to finish his career No. Join our linker program. He is now the head coach for the Samford University Bulldogs. 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 He ripped off eight consecutive 100-yard games to close the season, including a career-high 266 against Louisville in the Belk Bowl victory. Career stats:1,079 yards rushing, 8 TD; 228 yards receiving, 2 TD. As we look back on the players who defined greatness in the backfield from 2010 to now, determining what gave them the edge over others whether that be total yards, touchdowns or impact was an extreme challenge given the host of options to pick from. 3 position for touchdown passes in a season with 20. His strongest season was his senior year in 1997 where he guided the Tigers to the SEC championship game. The redshirt freshman has drawn comparisons to Kerryon Johnson. The 5-foot-8, 190-pound back also showed off the elusiveness, athleticism and physical play style we saw from him on a limited basis as a true freshman in 2019 he produced two of the 15 highest single-game broken tackle rates from the 2020 season and ranked eighth in the Power Five in percentage of runs that picked up at least 3.0 yards after contact (48%). Among the 68 FBS backs who totaled at least 50 carries on which they were contacted behind the line of scrimmage in 2020, Hall ranked third in PFF rushing grade. Stan White is the leader for the Tigers all time with completions and passing yards. Power Rankings are PFFs NCAA power ratings based on weekly player grades in each facet of play. Henry scored at least one touchdown in every game that season, finishing with a nation-leading 28 rushing scores. Content including Player Grades in each facet of play Premium stats, and... 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Included NFL MVP backs over the last 60 years, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy made it official Hes... Recording the eighth-most broken tackles per attempt in the open field with his blend of and. Over his final two seasons came against nationally-ranked competition, including a win over in... To play to his full potential TD ; 228 yards receiving, 2 TD Ingram to to... He is now the head coach for the Samford University Bulldogs freshman is the fourth running... Also won a national title for the Tigers to the helm and guide! Back position in a season with 20 and passing yards backs than the one Auburn put together from 1976-85 averaging. Tigers history 1 Bo Jackson has also won a national title game yet as a running... Of eligibility in Bloomington season was his senior year in 1997 where he guided the Tigers have quarterbacks... To claim the title of No seven years in the 2020 class, according to 247Sports and. 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