This season, one of the biggest questions surrounding Auburn football was who would fill the gaps left by Auburn alumni who went pro in the 2025 NFL draft. A large portion of the Tiger football team graduated this past spring, including the entire starting backfield. While Jackson Arnold became the clear successor for Payton Thorne, it was up in the air who would step up to replace some of Auburn’s biggest leaders on and off the field.
At running back, there was certainly pressure for someone to replace Jarquez Hunter. Hunter was one of the most prolific rushers in Auburn history, finishing his college career with 3,371 rushing yards, the fourth most in Auburn history. With Hunter now being a proud member of the Los Angeles Rams, the Tigers now need a new starting running back.
Both Damari Alston and Jeremiah Cobb had strong performances last night against the Bears. Alston, a returning senior, led the running backs with 84 rushing yards, his career second-best, on 16 carries, averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Cobb, a returning junior, also performed well, contributing a career-high 74 yards on 6 carries for an average of 4.6 yards per carry. Cobb was a tailback and deep kick returner for the Tigers last year, and has stepped up well in Hunter’s absence, infusing his signature physicality for every carry. The two running backs had two of Auburn’s four touchdowns and brought energy and leadership to the field.
The departure of Keandre Lambert-Smith also left questions at the star wide receiver spot. Lambert-Smith had 981 receiving yards in his one year with the Tigers, the fourth most in a single season for Auburn, and was a great leader for the receiver room.
Cam Coleman, coming off a solid freshman season, was expected to shoulder much of Lambert-Smith’s load. But the strength of the wide receiver room against Baylor surprisingly came in the wide array of weapons Arnold had at his disposal. Coleman only had one reception this game, earning 23 yards. However, Auburn used seven different receivers against the Bears for a total of 108 receiving yards.
Leading the way for the receivers was junior transfer Eric Singleton Jr. The former Yellow Jacket had 20 yards on three receptions, showing promise as a target for Arnold throughout this season. Another transfer, Horatio Fields from Wake Forest, also had a strong performance, with 17 yards on two receptions.
Arguably, one of the biggest holes left by the graduating class of 2025 was at Buck linebacker, with Jalen McLeod heading off to the Jacksonville Jaguars on draft night. McLeod, who had 57 tackles and eight sacks last season, brought speed, agility, and a unique energy to the Tiger defense, and his role would be missed.
Keyron Crawford, a returning senior, stepped into McLeod’s role perfectly against Baylor, leading the defense with a career-best-tying seven tackles and one sack. Crawford, who rotated in behind McLeod last season, showed the world that he’s willing to take on this starting role with energy and determination.
With one win under their belt, stay tuned to see how Auburn’s new starters continue to settle into their new roles.
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Jackie is a senior majoring in Psychology. She started with The Plainsman in fall 2024.
You can follow her on X (Twitter) at @jackie_domingun
