When head coach Hugh Freeze spoke to the media last week, his words were telling: “We’ve got something special in that room. Iron sharpens iron—and every day, they’re swinging.” That iron? A deep, diverse, and downright dangerous stable of backs, each with their own brand of devastation.
At the front of the charge is Jarquez Hunter, who returns with unfinished business. The senior back looks leaner, faster, and more focused than ever. If 2023 showed us glimpses of his north-south explosiveness and second-level shiftiness, fall camp 2025 is showing us a more complete back—one who’s learned to read blocks with surgical patience, bulldoze in pass protection, and catch out of the backfield like a slot receiver. He’s not just a weapon—he’s a war machine.
But what makes Auburn’s running back room insane isn’t just Hunter’s fire—it’s the wildfire behind him.
Enter Damari Alston, a name that’s steadily risen up the depth chart with each rep. Alston runs like a locomotive but cuts like a scalpel. He’s embraced the “next man up” mentality and made it a personal mission to shatter every expectation. Observers say he’s running with violence and purpose—two words that give SEC defenders nightmares.
Then there’s Brian Battie, the UCF transfer whose speed could scorch rubber off turf. Battie brings a lightning-in-a-bottle element that’s already turning heads in scrimmages. His agility in open space is reminiscent of a young Darren Sproles—slippery, sudden, and impossible to bottle up. Expect gadget plays. Expect mismatches. Expect chaos.
Don’t sleep on true freshman J’Marion Burnette either. At 6’1” and 225 pounds, Burnette has been bullying defenders in camp like a seasoned vet. He’s not supposed to be this good this early—but here he is, lowering his shoulder, breaking tackles, and earning real first-team reps. Auburn may have struck gold with this one.
What makes this group so terrifying is that they’re not just talented—they’re unselfish. In drills, they’re pushing each other. In film, they’re cheering each other. In scrimmages, they’re dominating together. The chemistry is palpable, and the hunger is real.
This isn’t just a backfield—it’s a three-headed hydra, with a fourth head growing by the hour. And behind an offensive line that’s beginning to gel under new position coach Jake Thornton, Auburn’s running backs may not just be the best group on the team. They might just be the most explosive unit in the SEC.
Fall camp still has weeks to go. But if what we’re seeing now is a preview of what’s coming this fall, one thing is crystal clear:
Auburn’s backfield is about to take the conference—and maybe the country—by storm.
