Auburn is a (Bell) Cow College, but that could change in 2025

The Tigers will enter the fall without a clear-cut leader at running back. Let's dive deeper into a possible committee approach.

AUBURN — If there was a single player archetype that defined Auburn football, it would have to be the high-volume superstar running back.

It’s the legacy of Bo Jackson, who was world-famous for dominating in several sports but arguably did his best work with the pigskin tucked under his arm.

It’s the memory of Rudi Johnson averaging an even 27 touches per game and breaking the 1,500-yard mark in just 12 contests in 2000.

It’s the image of Tre Mason staying in the 2013 SEC Championship Game to log an eye-watering 46 carries for 304 yards.

Academically, Auburn has long been called a Cow College.

Athletically, you can call it a Bell Cow College — because the Tigers produce prolific lead running backs like few others in the history of college football.

This is the program where there have been 30 different 1,000-yard rushers compared to, again, just two 1,000-yard receivers. In the last 15 years, Auburn had two different seasons in which it had a pair of 1,000-yard rushers on the same team.

For decades, Auburn has been able to keep a production line of top running backs churning. A star rusher takes over. His backup gets his opportunities, then jumps into that lead role once the other one departs. It’s a process that was perfected in the Pat Dye days and continued through Tommy Tuberville and Gus Malzahn’s reigns.

Over the last five seasons, a clear line of succession has been on full display in Auburn’s running back room. Tank Bigsby broke out as a true freshman in the COVID-affected 2020 season. He maintained that role in 2021 and 2022, while Jarquez Hunter got his share of touches as his explosive understudy. Hunter then spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons as RB1.

That brings us to 2025, where Hunter is now off to the NFL. There are backups who could step into that feature back role for Auburn this fall… but there isn’t a lot of proven production among them.

This could lead the Tigers into some relatively uncharted territory ahead of a season in which they must improve offensively after four straight losing campaigns.

“Totally comfortable with it by committee — and ready to adjust if there comes a bell cow,” Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze said last week.