Harsin looking for newcomers to help at running back

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Harsin and Tigers look for newcomers to help at running back

ByJason Caldwell

3-4 minutes

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Storylines for the Auburn Tigers in Bryan Harsin's first preseason camp

 

AUBURN, Alabama—Heading into the opening of fall football camp on Friday, Coach Bryan Harsin and the Auburn Tigers are in good shape at the running back position when you talk about a two-deep of Tank Bigsby and Shaun Shivers, but after the top two there are questions surrounding newcomers Jarquez Hunter and Jordon Ingram.

Everything starts with the duo of Bigsby and Shivers and that’s a comforting feeling for Harsin, Auburn offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and position coach Cadillac Williams. Last season the two running backs combined for just over 1,000 yards rushing with Bigsby entering his sophomore year as one of the top running backs in the country.

Coming off a strong spring, both backs continued that into a summer of workouts under the new staff and enter camp primed to be two of the leaders on offense for the Tigers.

“Tank and Shaun, both of those guys excelled this summer,” Harsin said. “I thought both of those guys, as leaders on the team, really stepped up. This is important to them. It’s good to see two good players really working with each other as well. They both know they’re going to play. They both know they’re going to have impacts on this team.”

A newcomer who has set himself up for potential playing time as a true freshman is Hunter. Explosive and powerful, the Mississippi native has been impressive in the weight room and Harsin said that work ethic is something the coaches believe will carry over to the field this fall. That will be important with Auburn needing either Hunter or Ingram or both to be ready when called upon.

“Jarquez, Jordon Ingram, those guys,” Harsin said of the running backs the Tigers need to step up. “Jarquez has had a really good summer. He’s obviously inexperienced when it comes to being out there at practice. We know he’s a young guy. He’s very strong, tough and works extremely hard. He’s got all the qualities you want in a player, certainly at that position.

“You have got to get somebody, Jordon or Jarquez or some of the other guys in that running back room, they’re going to need to step up. You know, especially at that position, you have got to have depth. Even if it’s a specialty role and it’s one or two plays, that still makes a huge difference in the offense.”

To be able to step on the field and play as a true freshman (Hunter) or as a redshirt freshman transfer (Ingram) takes more than just physical skill. That’s the first step in the process, but Harsin said now the real test begins on how much of the offense they can pick up and how quickly that happens.

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“We’ll see what they’re capable of retaining and learning through camp, but from what I have seen physically those guys had a really good summer," the head coach said. "They’re capable of doing it, now we have to go out there and apply it on the field.”

Tank Bigsby is one of the top returning backs in the country. (Photo: Jason Caldwell/Inside The Auburn Tigers, 247Sports)

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