Talent Spotlight: Jarquez Hunter of the Auburn Tigers

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Philadelphia, Miss. is infamously known as the epicenter of murderous violence during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. It has a long, dark history of racial hate and Jim Crow laws designed to perpetuate segregation. It was the scene of the notorious killings of three civil rights workers in 1964—the "Mississippi Burning murders."

This sleepy Mississippi town is also known for producing talented football players. Neshoba Central High School boasts gridiron alums such as Marcus Dupree. Dupree ran up and down the field, leaving tacklers in his wake from 1978 to 1981. He set the national prep record for career touchdowns with 87, surpassing the record previously set by Herschel Walker. Dupree went on to have limited success at the University of Oklahoma. He was the most highly recruited player from Mississippi, and although he was named second-team All-American while playing for the Sooners, he was later featured in an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary entitled, "The Best That Never Was."

Another Neshoba Central favorite son distinguished himself on the football field years later, scoring 93 career touchdowns and breaking Dupree’s record. That player is Jarquez Hunter.

Jarquez Hunter: Prep Phenom 

As a senior in 2020, Hunter rushed for 1,687 yards and 22 touchdowns and totaled 2,069 all-purpose yards. For his efforts, Hunter was named Mr. Football and MVP in Class 5A of the Mississippi High School Activities Association. In addition, Hunter was a three-sport star (including basketball and track) and an honor-roll student. After considering offers from Mississippi State and Iowa, Hunter committed to the Auburn Tigers.

War Eagle

In his freshman season on the Plains in 2021, Hunter rushed for 593 yards and 3 touchdowns, earning Southeastern Conference All-Freshman honors. As a sophomore, he rushed for 675 yards and 7 touchdowns. With Hugh Freeze taking the reins in 2023, Hunter ramped up his numbers, rushing for 909 yards. He posted three consecutive games with over 100 rushing yards, including a season-high 183 yards on 19 carries (9.63 yards per carry average) in a win over Vanderbilt.

Going into his fourth season with Auburn, Hunter has averaged 6.29. ypc for his career. He has amassed a total of 2,170 rushing yards and 17 TDs. In addition, Hunter has 3,090 all-purpose yards on the books and has posted eight games of 100+ yards rushing. Last week, Hunter was named to the first-team preseason All-SEC team by reporters covering SEC Media Days.

Auburn will be experienced on offense in 2024 with Hunter, senior quarterback Payton Thorne, redshirt junior wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith (transfer from Penn State) and senior tight end Rivaldo Fairweather, who led the team with 6 receiving TDs in 2023.

These experienced playmakers will be complemented by WR Cam Coleman, a five-star freshman who cannot be kept on the sideline.

Stay tuned to College Football Dawgs for continued reporting on the Auburn Tigers and other exciting college football news.