He's only been here for a short amount of time, but freshman Johnathan "Rudy" Ford has already made a name for himself on The Plains.
Recruited by running backs coach Tim Horton and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee out of New Hope, Ford came to Auburn as a four-star running back hungry to win.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Ford rushed 155 times for 1,526 yards and 23 touchdowns in his senior season for the New Hope Indians, earning Ford a No. 15 overall running back ranking from Rivals.com.
Ford received offers from numerous schools, including Georgia, Tennessee and Florida State before picking Auburn.
With a 40-yard dash time of 4.41 seconds, Scout.com said Ford's strengths as a running back include cutback ability, elusiveness and vision.
As summer camp went on, Lashlee commended Ford and fellow true freshman running back Peyton Barber for their hard work.
"They're working hard, and there's no fear in them," Lashlee said. "They might not always block the right man, but they're going to go and hit them in the mouth hard--they've shown out."
As the season opener approached, the Tigers suffered an unfortunate series of events in their secondary.
Veteran senior safety Demetruce McNeal was dismissed after a marijuana-related arrest, and sophomore corner-back Jonathan Jones broke a bone in his foot, which required surgery.
Losing these two players spread Auburn's secondary dangerously thin.
While Ford could have continued to work on gaining a role in the backfield, he committed a rare deed in today's world of college sports.
He put his team before his own interests and volunteered to switch from running back to corner back.
"We have got to do what's best for the team," Lashlee said in August. "(Ford) came to us and said, 'coach, I want to help the team win. I want to win now.' And right now, that's what's best for our football team."
Though Ford is struggling with inexperience, his coaches said his work ethic and athleticism drive him to succeed.
Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson believes while Ford may not be familiar with his new position's fundamentals, he will have a bright future.
"I think he physically is really going to be a good player [at corner-back]," Johnson said. "He's not ready yet, but physically he is the most impressive of the bunch."
Ford recorded his first solo tackle against Arkansas State in an impressive showing by the Auburn defense.
Ford's athleticism and selflessness have The Plains buzzing about his potential.
When asked about Ford's abilities during an August interview, Horton's response was simple.
"Johnathan Ford can make a play," Horton said.
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