There are many question marks surrounding the Auburn football team as they head into their second season under head coach Hugh Freeze, but there is one particular position group that inspires only confidence: the running backs.
“I think I’m gonna put Jarquez and Damari in yellow (non-contact) jerseys a good bit of the time,” Freeze told local reporters at SEC Media Days,per Auburn Undercover. “I don’t need to see them get a ton of reps in live situations.”
Jarquez Hunter and Damari Alston are seasoned veterans at this point with five combined seasons of Auburn football under their belts, and sophomore Jeremiah Cobb proved he could run with the big boys as a true freshman. Because the running game is expected to be a priority in the 2024 offense and the Tigers are down a scholarship running back in Brian Battie, who is recovering from a gunshot wound to the head in his hometown in Florida, Freeze plans to do things a little differently with the position group in fall camp.
4-star edge Hezekiah Harris from Huntsville, Alabama, has confirmed he will make his way to the Plains for Big Cat Weekend, the Auburn football team’s premiere recruiting event, on July 27. Ranked as the #4 edge in the recruiting class of 2026 and the #2 prospect out of the state of Alabama, Harris has already received nearly 20 offers from programs around the country.
Harris visited the Plains in March and then again in April for the Tigers’ A-Day game, and seems to be primarily splitting his time between rival in-state schools Auburn and Alabama in his recruitment. Back in April, Harris told On3 his top three schools were LSU, Clemson, and Auburn football.
On3’s Steve Wiltfong reportsthat Harris is ‘excited’ to be back on the Plains, and On3 expert Cole Pinkston logged an RPM prediction for Harris to commit to Auburn back in April.
