fall camp position preview: Running backs

[aubiefifty 18,231]

Auburn Football

Auburn 2021 fall camp position preview: Running backs

Posted Jul 31, 2021

COLUMBIA, SC - OCTOBER 17: Tank Bigsby #4 of the Auburn Tigers runs with the ball against the South Carolina Gamecocks in the third quarter of the game at Williams-Brice Stadium on October 17, 2020 in Columbia, South Carolina. The Gamecocks won 30-22. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)Getty Images

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

This is the second in a nine-part series examining each position group ahead of the start of Auburn’s fall camp on Aug. 5. The second installment looks at Auburn’s running backs.

There’s little question as to who the most important player on Auburn’s roster is this season. It’s Tank Bigsby, the sophomore running back who exploded onto the scene as a true freshman last season.

After rushing for 834 yards and five touchdowns in 2020, Bigsby is back for an encore, looking to cement himself as one of the nation’s top running backs and the next great back to come out of Auburn. Bigsby is already on the preseason watch list for four major awards — including the Doak Walker for nation’s top running back and the Walter Camp and Maxwell Awards for the nation’s top overall player. A lot will be placed on Bigsby’s shoulders this season, and an even better year from the 6-foot, 208-pounder should bode well for the Tigers’ offense this fall.

Departed: D.J. Williams (transfer to FSU); Mark-Antony Richards (transfer to UCF); Devan Barrett (transfer portal).

Returning starter: Tank Bigsby, sophomore.

Other returning players: Shaun Shivers, senior.

Summer arrivals: Jordon Ingram, redshirt freshman CMU transfer; Jarquez Hunter, three-star freshman.

Outlook: Auburn’s running back room has undergone quite the makeover since this time last year. As the Tigers entered fall camp a year ago, the position featured a veteran in Shivers, Bigsby as a true freshman, as well as Williams, Richards and Harold Joiner. The latter transferred during the season, while Williams and Richards both departed in the offseason.

That left the Tigers with just Bigsby and Shivers as scholarship running backs this spring, while the team also welcomed back Barrett, who originally signed with Auburn as a running back, ultimately made the move to defensive back and opted out last season due to COVID-19 concerns. Bigsby and Shivers remained atop the two-deep throughout the spring, as expected, while Barrett entered the transfer portal in early July. The Tigers also added two more pieces this summer in Central Michigan transfer Jordon Ingram, who will be on scholarship this fall, and true freshman Jarquez Hunter, one of the late additions to the 2021 signing class.

Those two should add some necessary depth to a running back room that was in need of it this offseason, but they’ll have to earn their touches behind Bigsby and Shivers. All eyes, of course, will be on Bigsby, who averaged 6.01 yards per carry and became the first freshman running back to do so for the Tigers since Michael Dyer in 2010. He was stellar during his debut season, and now Bigsby could solidify himself as one of the nation’s best at his position. Shivers, meanwhile, should fit in well as the No. 2 back in Auburn’s new-look offense, which seems to be a better fit for his downhill running style.

Battle to watch: Bigsby and Shivers should provide a strong one-two punch out of the backfield, but Auburn will probably need another back in the rotation to help ease their workloads over the course of a 12-game season. Whether that will be incoming freshman Jarquez Hunter or Central Michigan transfer Jordon Ingram remains to be see, but definitely keep an eye on those two.

Keep an eye on: Bigsby. Auburn has one of the nation’s top running backs, and he’s only a sophomore. Tigers fans should enjoy it while he’s still on campus.

Projected two-deep:

Tank Bigsby (6-foot, 208 pounds)

Shaun Shivers (5-foot-7, 189 pounds)

[aubiefifty 18,231]

not much new here but as i posted this i wonder what happens if tank gets hurt? i know i worry and overthink too much but how bad does it set us back? could we rise above it?

[Quietmaninthecorner 2,032]

34 minutes ago, aubiefifty said:

not much new here but as i posted this i wonder what happens if tank gets hurt? i know i worry and overthink too much but how bad does it set us back? could we rise above it?

I think we are all nervous about that.   Under gus we would be in serious trouble,  but I do not think we need to be as nervous with Harsin at the helm.   I assume Harsin has more than a plan A.   He has said all along he wants to be flexible in his offense.