RB Rankings: Jarquez Hunter

October 4, 2021 CFB Saturdays Staff

Updated: 01/20/2022

With the season underway players have had the opportunity to raise their stock and move up the rankings. Before we jump into Jarquez Hunter, here’s a few reminders about the rankings themselves:

The rankings will be updated throughout the season.
Players who have not played college football are not eligible for the rankings.
Players are graded on their college ability, not their pro potential.
We are judging players on their film, production and physical tools.

You can view the College Football RB Rankings here.

Auburn running back, Jarquez Hunter made an immediate impact for the Tigers in 2021. He opened the season with two 100 yard rushing games on nine and eight carries against Akron and Alabama State. Obviously, those are not tough opponents, but Hunter has continued to be efficient averaging more than 6.2 yards per carry in the next three games against Penn State, Georgia State and LSU. Auburn did not run the ball well at all during the second half of the season, but Hunter still rushed for 593 yards on 89 carries with 3 touchdowns and caught 12 passes for 61 yards and a touchdown. While the Auburn running game was not a strength in 2021, Hunter flashes his potential and should be a big part of the solution.

Hunter is a spectacular athlete who has the physical traits to be a big play threat every time he touches the ball. He is explosive when he hits the hole and gets to the second level quickly. Hunter has big time speed and can take any run all the way for a score. He excels working laterally, finding a lane, planting his foot in the ground and exploding through the crease. Hunter has powerful legs that help him break big plays, but also allow him to run through tackles.

At 5’10” 202 lbs, Hunter is not the biggest back, but he runs with good power. While, he is quick enough to run past defenders and has enough hops to hurdle over defenders, Hunter is also able to run through tackles and move the pile. He gets good leverage and drives forward with his legs, keeping them pumping and powering forward. Hunter has a dynamic blend of power and speed that makes him a difficult running back to contain.

Hunter flashed as a freshman but has some work to do on his pass protection. He has the luxury of learning behind Tank Bigsby and can take advantage of Tank’s ability to wear the defense down. Hunter is proving to be a capable receiver out of the backfield and will add value in the passing game as well. He has established himself as an effective runner and will be a key piece of the running attack moving forward. The future is bright for Hunter, as his role will only grow as the Tigers focus more on running the ball.