8.4.23 Football Articles

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So, what if Jarquez Hunter can’t play for Auburn this season

Updated: Aug. 03, 2023, 5:28 p.m.|Published: Aug. 03, 2023, 2:48 p.m.

4–5 minutes

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Auburn quarterback Robby Ashford (9) hands the ball off to Auburn running back Sean Jackson (44) during first day of practices, Thursday, Aug. 3, 2023 in Auburn, Ala. (AL.com Photo/Stew Milne)Stew Milne

At this point — after one fall camp practice and a month before the season begins — what do we know about Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter?

Well, it starts now with his absence from Auburn’s first practice of fall camp Thursday. Not only was he not in uniform, he didn’t appear to be around the facility at all. He is still listed on Auburn’s roster as of Thursday.

The saga began with a leaked sex tape during the offseason that allegedly includes Hunter and potentially involved other players.

After the video was released, Auburn put out a statement in May saying that it was giving indefinite suspensions to some players.

But that leaves a lot left of what’s unknown.

 

Auburn didn’t state how many players were being suspended, why they were being suspended or the identities of any of them.

Until Auburn actually took the field for fall camp, it was unclear whether Hunter would be out there. Head coach Hugh Freeze had been asked about Hunter throughout the summer and continually declined to comment, citing Auburn policies.

It’s not known either when, if ever, Hunter will be back at practice.

Losing Hunter would be a significant blow to Auburn’s offense. Hunter showed flashes during the 2022 season of being Auburn’s star running back of the future. This season, he was projected to take over the lead role in the backfield and see the most expanded playing time of his college career. All of that now might be in jeopardy.

So what happens if he can’t play?

At Thursday’s practice, Auburn mixed around projected starters throughout the depth chart. So the first offense on the field may not necessarily be the first team. That point aside, sophomore Damari Alston was the first running back on the field for Auburn. Then came junior Brian Battie, sophomore Sean Jackson and then true freshman Jeremiah Cobb.

“I loved our running back room in spring and I’m excited about adding Cobb and Battie,” Freeze said before the start of Auburn’s practice Thursday. “I think we have good players here. I think Damari has been one of the best leaders on our team this entire summer and spring.”

How that group will order themselves either behind Hunter or without him certainly remains to be seen, especially with this being the first chance to see Cobb on campus. From the sidelines, Cobb already looks the part of an SEC running back.

Battie has the most experience of anyone behind Hunter, and has already received an All-SEC First Team nod for his expected role as a kick returner. But that experience all comes from USF and not frequently against SEC defenses.

Alston had 14 carries last year as a freshman and Jackson had his best stats during his Auburn career game at the 2023 A-Day game where he had 77 yards on 13 carries.

In short, if Hunter isn’t there, Auburn’s running back room is full of wild cards. Cobb, a 4-star recruit from Montgomery Catholic, may have the most potential but is very unproven.

Without Hunter, Auburn could start the year with a committee of running backs and adjust if anyone emerges.

Until then, Hunter’s status will loom over Auburn’s football team. He’s a crucial piece to a team looking to rebound. Not being at Auburn’s first practice isn’t quite encouraging, but it also doesn’t rule out a return in the future.

Details on what is happening with Hunter behind the scenes may stay unknown.

And for now, it’s even unclear if Auburn coaches are preparing with or without Hunter in the long-term picture.

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[aubiefifty 17,100]

todays articles are posted for LocalTiger. thanx for the support my fellow Auburn fan!

[WarTim 3,457]

Thanks Fifty 

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[LocalTiger 13]

6 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

ok apologies for leaving some of you hanging. have a great day! it is friday and my coffee pot quit on me so i am crankier than normal this morning. anyway...War Eagle

Glad it was a short absence. You're the first guy I look for every day. I especially enjoy the daily videos. Saves me  a ton of time every morning.

[aubiefifty 17,100]

3 minutes ago, LocalTiger said:

Glad it was a short absence. You're the first guy I look for every day. I especially enjoy the daily videos. Saves me  a ton of time every morning.

well when i saw the sad emojie i thought just do it and if no one else likes it so be it. but it seems i am a bad guy for not posting in the fall camp thread. but it is still football and i can barely keep up with my own thread. thanx for viewing

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Observations from the first two days of Auburn preseason practices

Published: Aug. 04, 2023, 5:00 p.m.

6–7 minutes

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The first two days of Auburn’s preseason practices have wrapped up Friday afternoon. The quarterback battle will be the biggest on-field story, and through two days there may be a few beginning inkling of the hierarchy. But it’s not the only open job on Auburn’s roster, far from it, and the on-field stories may not be as crucial as the off-field ones.

Here are some observations, notes and storylines from the first two days of camp.

Who wasn’t there may outshine who was

We can start with the obvious one. Junior running back Jarquez Hunter didn’t practice on either Thursday or Friday during the open period with media members. His status remains clouded by uncertainty.

Following the release of a sex tape allegedly depicting Hunter, Auburn announced it had given indefinite suspensions to some football players but didn’t say who, how many, or why.

Sophomore safety Caleb Wooden was not at either of Auburn’s first two practices either.

Junior wide receiver Koy Moore has been at practice and in uniform, but was not a full participant. On Friday, he stood off to the side during offensive team drills, and at the end of the period open to reporters, was in the indoor field seeming to be stretching with a coach.

It’s unclear what specifically is keeping Moore out.

Your scheduled quarterback update

Through two days of fall camp, Michigan State transfer Payton Throne has been the first quarterback taking snaps with the presumed first-team offensive line group.

In the time open to reporters, Thorne hasn’t shown anything particularly notable for the practice highlight reel, but he has been reliable and precise with most of his throws. It’s unclear to what extent he feels comfortable with a new offense at this point, and how much of the playbook is being opened up in team drills with media present.

Sophomore Holden Geriner has been the second quarterback out each of the first two days, and may have shown the best flashes of Auburn’s main trio. His deep ball touch has been the best of the quarterback room so far. Head coach Hugh Freeze frequently would bring up Geriner before Throne or Robby Ashford when discussing Auburn’s quarterbacks, and while he may not win the job, it certainly makes sense why Freeze is a believer.

Ashford may have the most potential of any quarterback on the roster, but he’s struggled during the open periods. Ashford showed many flashes of elite play when he took over as Auburn’s starter at the end of last season. But through two days of fall camp, many of his limitations — especially with regard to accuracy — have shown.

On Friday, Ashford underthrew a crossing route in the flat to his left side, leading to an incompletion. Later in the team drill, he threw a deep ball down the right sideline and while the pass was completed, the wobbly, underthrown ball likely would not have been if the offense was not playing against air.

On Thursday, Ashford hardly threw the ball at all during the same team drill. Most of his plays were designed runs.

Last season, Ashford has a 49.2% completion rate.

Though all quarterback observations do come with the caveat of the media watching quarterbacks play without facing a secondary.

Okay, outside of quarterbacks, who might be starting?

Let’s start with the offense. That offensive line group Thorne was throwing behind? Those five remained the same during the first two days of practice, and shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Tulsa transfer Dillon Wade played left tackle, junior Tate Johnson lined up at left guard, East Carolina transfer Avery Jones was the center, senior Kam Stutts played right guard and Western Kentucky transfer Gunner Britton was the right tackle.

Yet while that group seems fairly stead-fast, they were surrounded by a ton of skill position rotation.

Maybe the most notable player to see time in team drills with the first group of offensive linemen and Thorne was freshman running back Jeremiah Cobb. Cobb could be in for a huge role if Auburn is without Hunter.

Damari Alston played with Thorne on Thursday.

In terms of wide receivers, the group has been far from set. On Thursday senior Ja’Varrius Johnson lined with the third group on offense, but on Friday was with Thorne. Sophomore Cam Brown and junior Malcolm Johnson Jr. were also with Thorne’s group along with FIU transfer tight end Rivaldo Fairweather.

Transfers Nick Mardner and Shane Hooks have each stood out purely from their height, though Caleb Burton has been the most impactful big-play receiver of the group of new guys to this point.

Again, all needs to be taken with a grain of salt without facing a secondary in front of media.

Okay, so how about the defense?

The first group on the defensive front was jack linebacker Elijah McAllister, defensive linemen Marcus Harris, Jayson Jones and defensive end Mosiah Nasili-Kite. Austin Keys and Eugene Asante lined up in the middle as the linebackers and Keionte Scott, D.J. James and Nehemiah Pritchett were the first corners in defensive drills. Jaylen Simpson was the first safety.

Much of that is as expected.

Highly touted freshman Keldric Faulk lined up as a defensive end on the second group of defensive players. He is listed on the roster at 6-foot-6, 288 pounds.

A final defensive note: Auburn had some freshmen in the secondary shadowing the presumptive starters, seemingly as a means of learning from Auburn’s top guys in a secondary room that seems to be a team strength.

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