Over its 133-year history, Auburn has had a plethora of talent get drafted into the NFL. Since 1986, when Bo Jackson was selected No. 1 overall, over 150 Auburn Tigers have turned pro via the NFL Draft.
Among those looking to hear their name called this year at Lambeau Field is Auburn running back Jarquez Hunter.
The senior from Philadelphia, MS has been one of the few bright spots for Auburn over the recent disappointing years. Hunter played all four seasons on the Plains which is a rarity in the transfer portal/NIL era of college football.
During his junior season, Hunter was a force to be reckoned with. During Auburn’s three-game win streak against Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas, he racked up 436 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He made Second-Team All-SEC and led the orange and blue with 909 rushing yards.
When it was time to start his senior campaign on the Plains, he was a fan-favorite, and for good reason. The then 21-year-old Hunter posted 1,201 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. The running back was rewarded with First-Team All-SEC honors.
The highlight of his senior season was the Kentucky game, where he torched the Wildcats for 278 yards and two touchdowns. A month later, Hunter left Jordan-Hare Stadium with a bang, going for 130 rushing yards and three touchdowns in Auburn’s 4OT win over Texas A&M.
During Auburn’s five victories in 2024, he averaged an absurd 143 yards and 1.4 touchdowns per game.
“To the Auburn family, thank you for the love and support, and having the best fan base in college football. I will forever be grateful to be an Auburn Man,” Hunter said on his Instagram this past December. “I want to thank all my coaches during the time of me being at Auburn, thank you for taking a chance on me and giving me an opportunity to show my talents to the world. Thank you for believing in me, giving me an opportunity to grow as a player and as a man. Teaching me how to carry myself through adversity and showing me how to treat people. Coming to Auburn is one of the best decisions I made in my life and it has been a blessing to have been here.”
If selected, Hunter will join Cameron Artis-Payne, Kerryon Johnson, Chandler Cox, and Tank Bigsby as halfbacks from Auburn drafted in the last 10 years. He is currently projected to be selected in the fifth-to-sixth round.
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Rory is a freshman majoring in journalism sports production. He started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @RorymGarvin
