2021 4* RB LJ Johnson

[WarEagle2423 357]

1 hour ago, abw0004 said:

With the departure of Malik and Boobie, does that increase our need to get two in this class now for sure?

Not an insider by any means, but I wouldn’t think so. Miller would’ve been gone after this year regardless. And I wouldn’t have been surprised if Boobie would’ve tested the NFL waters after this season if he would’ve stayed. Not sure if the staff wants 1 or 2 RBs this cycle, but I doubt those 2 would’ve impacted this class. 
 

Side note: I think this guy could be a stud, but I’d personally prefer AG. Admittedly, I haven’t dove too much into either’s tape. I’m looking at it this way: if we don’t get LJ, we probably don’t ever play against him, but if we don’t get AG, we probably face him for 3-4 years. Probably not the best reasoning, but I would just hate to see AG in crimson or purple and yellow. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take both all day long if getting LJ doesn’t mean losing AG. 

[ellitor 33,062]

3 hours ago, abw0004 said:

With the departure of Malik and Boobie, does that increase our need to get two in this class now for sure?

@abw0004 nope! We still have five schollied RBs that were highly recruited on roster. Malik was going to be fifth or sixth on the depth chart anyway and not used much.

[ellitor 33,062]

3 hours ago, Mikey said:

Bo Jackson and Brent Fullwood. Both 1st team all-Amercans their senior year, plus Bo's Heisman. That duo would be hard to beat.

First duo that came to my mind in my post.

[auburn4ever 1,266]

I'm older so I remember James Brooks, William Andrews & Joe Cribbs in the 70s. Then you have Bo Jackson, Tommie Agee & Lionel 'Little Train' James in the same backfield in the early 80s. Finally, you have Carnell 'Cadillac' Williams,  Ronnie Brown & Brandon Jacobs. Those were the best running back combo Auburn's ever had. I'm hoping we'll get another one - two punch in the backfield for the future.

Edited July 18, 2020 by auburn4ever

[waaegl 64]

1 hour ago, auburn4ever said:

I'm older so I remember James Brooks & William Andrews in the 70s. Then you have Bo Jackson, Tommie Aged & Lionel 'Little Train' James in the same backfield in the early 80s. Finally, you have Carnell 'Cadillac' Williams & Ronnie Brown. Those were the best running back combo Auburn's ever had. I'm hoping we'll get another one - two punch in the backfield for the future.

You can’t leave Joe Cribbs out of the William Andrews and James Brooks discussion. 
I remember my first year at Auburn and the T-shirts that labeled the first upper deck addition of Jordan-Hare as “The House that Brooks Built”. 

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Sorry about that. I didn't mean to leave Joe Grubbs off that list. I'll go back and fix my list.

[auburn4ever 1,266]

That's so true. The House that Brooks built. Such great memories.

Edited July 18, 2020 by auburn4ever

[amsterjam 107]

Dont forget we also had Brandon Jacobs while Caddy and Brown were here.

[waaegl 64]

Set an attendance record for the 1980 Tennessee game and were soundly beaten 42-0.  Barfield’s last year. Had tons of talent in that backfield.  

[auburn4ever 1,266]

YES we did.

[McLoofus 35,182]

On 7/18/2020 at 3:02 AM, ellitor said:

@abw0004 nope! We still have five schollied RBs that were highly recruited on roster. Malik was going to be fifth or sixth on the depth chart anyway and not used much.

And he had a lot of experience and probably would've been given reps, but all five of those guys remaining can likely do things Boobie couldn't. 

[gravejd 3,267]

On 7/18/2020 at 5:44 PM, amsterjam said:

Dont forget we also had Brandon Jacobs while Caddy and Brown were here.

Remember when Jacobs took out about 5 Vandy players when he was on kick coverage? They tried to set up the wedge and Jacobs decided he would accept the challenge of the wedge. I thought he killed one kid 😧

3 top of the line NFL RBs on one team. And all at the height of their games. Has to be the best backfield ever

[McLoofus 35,182]

31 minutes ago, gravejd said:

Remember when Jacobs took out about 5 Vandy players when he was on kick coverage? They tried to set up the wedge and Jacobs decided he would accept the challenge of the wedge. I thought he killed one kid 😧

3 top of the line NFL RBs on one team. And all at the height of their games. Has to be the best backfield ever

Dude left on a stretcher. I remember being so relieved when they announced he had feeling in his extremities on the broadcast. 

[MadtownTiger 363]

6 hours ago, gravejd said:

Remember when Jacobs took out about 5 Vandy players when he was on kick coverage? They tried to set up the wedge and Jacobs decided he would accept the challenge of the wedge. I thought he killed one kid 😧

3 top of the line NFL RBs on one team. And all at the height of their games. Has to be the best backfield ever

If we're talking about talent on the roster---and I realize this is all academic---I would give the nod to the 2004 RB roster over 2003.  

We lost Brandons Jacobs and Johnson after '03, but Kenny Irons transferred to AU in '04.  Very different skill sets, and obviously he was ineligible in '04, but I think a healthy Irons was a better back than Jacobs.  I don't remember there being much of a drop off from Johnson to Slaughter at FB.  Also, Brad Lester and Tristan Davis were freshmen in '04.  Lester had a pretty good college career, and while Davis was primarily a safety at AU he was a good enough RB to hang around NFL rosters for four or five years.

WDE!

[gravejd 3,267]

1 hour ago, MadtownTiger said:

If we're talking about talent on the roster---and I realize this is all academic---I would give the nod to the 2004 RB roster over 2003.  

We lost Brandons Jacobs and Johnson after '03, but Kenny Irons transferred to AU in '04.  Very different skill sets, and obviously he was ineligible in '04, but I think a healthy Irons was a better back than Jacobs.  I don't remember there being much of a drop off from Johnson to Slaughter at FB.  Also, Brad Lester and Tristan Davis were freshmen in '04.  Lester had a pretty good college career, and while Davis was primarily a safety at AU he was a good enough RB to hang around NFL rosters for four or five years.

WDE!

Jacobs was a way better back then Lester, Irons, And Davis. He just didn’t get a shot at AU because he was behind Brown and Caddy who were upperclassmen as well as extremely talented. 

 

Jacobs played for 6+ years, won 2 super bowl rings and was probably in the discussion as best back in the league a couple of those years. He may have had the best pro career out of all 3 of them which is kind of crazy. That’s why I have those 3 as best backfield. They all immediately stepped into the NFL and were dominant backs at that level. 
 

further more, this LJ Johnson kid looks very talented and I would enjoy seeing him add to the great legacy of AU running backs! 😁 🦅 

[auburn4ever 1,266]

We really need LJ in our backfield.

[bigbird 60,368]

5 hours ago, gravejd said:

Jacobs was a way better back then Lester, Irons, And Davis

I would put Irons ahead of him without hesitation.

[McLoofus 35,182]

13 hours ago, gravejd said:

was probably in the discussion as best back in the league a couple of those years

Afraid not. He was peaking at the same time as LT, AP, Michael Turner, Clinton Portis, Matt Forte, Chris Johnson, Stephen Jackson... Ronnie Brown...

He was very good from 2007-2009 for sure. Averaged 5 yards a carry in '07 and '08 behind that same NY OL that kept Eli upright for a few years, then became a short yardage specialist in '09. I can't call him an elite NFL back. 

Btw, KI was looking very promising at Cinci but had a career-ending injury before he ever got to play. It's absolutely maddening how many Auburn RBs have had their NFL careers severely impacted by injury, starting with the GOAT and, honestly, affecting most of them since. 

[ArgoEagle 1,767]

We seem to have gotten off topic from the OP

[gravejd 3,267]

Hmm you guys remember Irons as a much better back than i do. I looked it up and he did have a really good 2005 with 1200 yds rushing and then the following year he had 900 yds rushing. He has no NFL stats as he tore an ACL in his first preseason game and never played again. I'd still take Jacobs but i feel i did under sell Mr Irons. 

[AUApostle 7,648]

31 minutes ago, gravejd said:

Hmm you guys remember Irons as a much better back than i do. I looked it up and he did have a really good 2005 with 1200 yds rushing and then the following year he had 900 yds rushing. He has no NFL stats as he tore an ACL in his first preseason game and never played again. I'd still take Jacobs but i feel i did under sell Mr Irons. 

I think Irons got hurt against WS (hamstring?) to open the 06 season and never was fully healthy that year. 

[ellitor 33,062]

1 hour ago, ArgoEagle said:

We seem to have gotten off topic from the OP

Yes but talking about our RB history can only help our cause should LJ or his family read the thread.

[ellitor 33,062]

1 hour ago, gravejd said:

Hmm you guys remember Irons as a much better back than i do. I looked it up and he did have a really good 2005 with 1200 yds rushing and then the following year he had 900 yds rushing. He has no NFL stats as he tore an ACL in his first preseason game and never played again. I'd still take Jacobs but i feel i did under sell Mr Irons. 

Irons ingrained himself in the hearts of most AU fans with this run & this game at LSU even though it was a loss. In the replay there's a better angle of him shedding a 300 lb DT.

 

[Sizzle 3,909]

8 minutes ago, ellitor said:

Yes but talking about our RB history can only help our cause should LJ or his family read the thread.

Yeah what’s A&M’s RB history. I can’t think of too many guys off the top of my head who they’ve produced

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 hour ago, ellitor said:

Irons ingrained himself in the hearts of most AU fans with this run & this game at LSU even though it was a loss. In the replay there's a better angle of him shedding a 300 lb DT.

 

I don't know if it's the best single-game performance I've seen from an Auburn RB, but I can't think of a better one off the top of my head.

But Tank Johnson can be even better yadda yadda yadda.