Which RB had the 'best day'

[aubiefifty 16,737]

Which Auburn running back had the 'best day' during Tigers' 1st practice in pads?

Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

Auburn's backfield features the SEC's leading rusher in yards per game last season as well as a versatile running back who rushed for nearly 900 yards in 2016.

During the Tigers' third day of spring practice, and their first in pads, it was neither of those two -- Kamryn Pettway and Kerryon Johnson -- who had the best performance. That distinction, according to Johnson, belonged to sophomore Kam Martin.

"I think today he probably had the best day out of any of us," Johnson said. "He blocked very well on our drills. He's only getting better. It just comes with size and it comes with maturity."

Martin, according to Johnson, made multiple impressive plays during Saturday's practice. The 5-foot-10, 182-pound speedster broke off a run of about 25 yards and also made a "nice catch" out of the backfield for another 10 yards.

"I think Kam's bringing everything he brought to the table last year," Johnson said. "Kam is very fast, he's got good hands, he's learning the offense just like the rest of us."

Last season, Martin emerged as Auburn's No. 3 running back behind Pettway and Johnson. Martin, who originally signed with Baylor before being granted a full release from his letter of intent, joined Auburn as a late addition last summer.

The speedy former track star saw time in 10 games last season, rushing for 320 yards and three touchdowns on 44 carries while adding another 52 yards receiving. Martin rushed for a career-high 176 yards and two scores against Alabama A&M during Auburn's home finale.

While Pettway and Johnson are firmly the Tigers' top two running backs heading into next season, Martin's growth from his freshman to sophomore seasons provides added depth to the backfield, an important factor with how quickly things can change due to injuries. Last season, both Pettway (hamstring) and Johnson (ankle) dealt with injuries that hindered them at points during the season.

"Those guys realize that at any given moment, both of us could go down," Johnson said. "And now they're in the spotlight. We all realize that in this league, anything could happen. Anything could happen. We could get kicked out or whatever. You've just got to always adapt. We proved that last year. You've got to be able to prepare yourself like you're a starter.

"Coach Horton does a good job of that, making sure we get all the same reps, all the same mental reps. He's just always making sure we're prepared when our name is called upon."

[JFDTiger80 790]

I think this is great news and sort of expected. During the course of a full season, we are going to need as many great RB's as we can get. Having a Three headed monster at RB is better than having a 2 headed monster. All three backs are SEC ready in my opinion. 

[McLoofus 35,182]

2 hours ago, JFDTiger80 said:

I think this is great news and sort of expected. During the course of a full season, we are going to need as many great RB's as we can get. Having a Three headed monster at RB is better than having a 2 headed monster. All three backs are SEC ready in my opinion. 

Miller's going to be a serious contributor, too, if he stays healthy. And Williams and Barrett should be serviceable if we're forced to play them. Definitely a body or two deeper than we were last year. 

[oracle79 3,569]

Was Miller able to receive a redshirt last year after being injured?  So a redshirt freshman this year as opposed to a sophomore?

[Barnacle 9,064]

9 minutes ago, oracle79 said:

Was Miller able to receive a redshirt last year after being injured?  So a redshirt freshman this year as opposed to a sophomore?

Good question. I know they applied for one, but I'm not sure if the waiver was granted or not. 

[lionheartkc 6,150]

11 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

23 minutes ago, oracle79 said:

Was Miller able to receive a redshirt last year after being injured?  So a redshirt freshman this year as opposed to a sophomore?

Good question. I know they applied for one, but I'm not sure if the waiver

My understanding was that he did, which is why they held him out of the Sugar Bowl.

[Barnacle 9,064]

1 minute ago, lionheartkc said:

My understanding was that he did, which is why they held him out of the Sugar Bowl.

I was thinking they held him out because they had already applied for one, and playing in the Sugar Bowl might void his application. 

[lionheartkc 6,150]

2 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

I was thinking they held him out because they had already applied for one, and playing in the Sugar Bowl might void his application. 

Yea... I don't know that the final verdict is in yet, but Gus was quoted as saying that there was a good chance he would get it and that's why they kept him out of the game.  I know from personally dealing with the AD, that they don't waste the effort applying for any kind of hardship waivers unless they feel like it's a done deal.

[Barnacle 9,064]

Just now, lionheartkc said:

Yea... I don't know that the final verdict is in yet, but Gus was quoted as saying that there was a good chance he would get it and that's why they kept him out of the game.  I know from personally dealing with the AD, that they don't waste the effort applying for any kind of hardship waivers unless they feel like it's a done deal.

good to know, Lion. 

[lionheartkc 6,150]

Just now, Barnacle said:

good to know, Lion. 

Yea... if you remember Flex... I worked with them to try to get his fifth year and that's when I learned about that policy. Apparently the SEC and NCAA look down on schools who don't cross all their T's and dot all of their I's before filing waivers, and Auburn doesn't want to get a bad reputation with those folks.