At the beginning of the season, Auburn ran a running back by committee, but now it is clear that Cameron Artis-Payne has not only separated himself as the No. 1 back on the team, but also has emerged at the No. 1 spot for most rushing yards in the SEC.
Artis-Payne's 969 yards through eight games are good for first in the SEC and 17th in the country.
Although he has separated himself as the go-to running back in the Tigers' hurry-up, no huddle offense, players and coaches agree that Artis-Payne has always been a talented back who they expected to have a breakout senior season.
"We knew at the beginning [of the season], we thought he'd be an 1,000-yard back in this league, we really did," said offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee. "We didn't know what level [he would be at] and there's still some things to be seen, but what he has done is he just has great determination."
According to wide receiver Sammie Coates, he has noticed characteristics of Artis-Payne's running game that have helped him become the current leading rusher in the SEC.
"When he's out there, he watches the defense," Coates said. "He knows what he's got to do to run the ball. He does a great job of letting the game come to him. CAP has always been a good running back and he's going to keep doing a great job."
According to Lashlee, Artis-Payne is the type of player who does not boast about his accomplishments; he simply lets his play do the talking for him.
"(Artis-Payne) has a very quiet strength of drive," Lashlee said. "He's very driven to prove himself and he doesn't have to say anything. He comes to work every day. He's a pro before he's a pro. He's the same young man every single day."
Lashlee said because of the way Artis-Payne prepares, studies film and practices, he has created a consistent daily routine, and that consistency off the field has led to him putting up consistent numbers on the field, averaging 5.4 yards-per-carry.
Artis-Payne said even though he has been named the No. 1 running back on Auburn's depth chart, he has continued to work hard to become more comfortable as an emerging leader on offense.
"Even though you get named the starter, you're still not going to be as comfortable six, seven games into the season," Artis-Payne said. "I think me and the offensive line are just starting to hit that stride. I think we're just getting more comfortable and seeing things better."
Lashlee said this year's running back situation is similar to last year's since Artis-Payne separated himself as the No. 1 back, and Tre Mason stepped up as the No. 1 back on his way to becoming a Heisman finalist last year.
"I think the way Tre got hot late had nothing negative to do with the way Cameron or Corey (Grant) were playing," Lashlee said. "They both still had a lot of good runs and good plays. Tre just became kind of that go-to guy."
Last year, Mason had 753 yards after eight games and Artis-Payne has 969 yards through the first eight games this season.
"(Artis-Payne) is as steady and consistent and reliable as anybody we have and probably about as reliable as anyone in the country," Lashlee said. "He just keeps plugging and coming at you. When we start to wear people down, he really can turn up those yards late and gets better as the game goes on."
Artis-Payne's ability to get better as the game goes on was proven during the 35-31 win at Ole Miss, where he rushed for 138 yards and a touchdown.
"We figured out some things seeing what they were doing up front and seeing the mismatches we had," Artis-Payne said. "We figured we could exploit that in the second half. We know that if it's a close game in the fourth quarter, we're going to find a way to win and we pride ourselves on that."
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