Coach Hugh Freeze has a "proud" reaction to Auburn RB going to LA

Coach Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers did not have the best season, finishing near the bottom of the SEC with a 5-7 record. However, the season was not a total failure because they helped at least one player get drafted into the NFL.

Running back Jarquez Hunter was a bright spot on the Tigers this past season. He had a huge breakout season in his fourth year with the Tigers, rushing for 1,201 yards and eight TDs on 187 carries.

He became the first player from Auburn taken in the 2025 NFL draft when he was selected by the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round.

Shortly after Hunter was drafted, Auburn Football made a post on X. Coach Hugh Freeze followed up, expressing his excitement and pride for Hunter.

"Cmon!!!!! Proud of Jarquez Hunter and proud to have him represent Auburn on the next level!!!"

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Hunter was able to take advantage of being on a weak Auburn roster this past season. He got more carries and made the most of them. Not only did he improve his overall yardage, but he also improved his average distance per carry from the previous season, jumping up from 5.7 yards to 6.4 yards.

How does Jarquez Hunter fit on the Rams after playing for Hugh Freeze at Auburn?

Jarquez Hunter played for Auburn for four seasons, but really started to develop as a player when Hugh Freeze arrived in the 2023 season. He took big jumps forward in both of his two seasons under Freeze. However, he will no longer have the advantage of playing for him next season.

Fortunately for Hunter, he should be in a good situation in LA. The Rams are a veteran team with a strong offensive group that should allow Hunter to develop. He will not be asked to step into a starting role right away, and as a result, should be able to grow his game over the next few seasons.

The Rams have one of the best offensive-minded coaches in the NFL in Sean McVay. He is also a young coach, which makes it easier for him to relate to young players like Hunter.

Heading into next season, Hunter is projected to be the third-string running back on the Rams. He will play behind Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. He will likely get to play, but only in limited minutes unless there is an injury.

About the author

Alexander O'Reilly is a journalist at Sportskeeda from Kingston, Ontario with over seven years in the field at companies including SenShot, RVBlogger, Monarch Media, WordAgents, GSeC LLC, and IGC.

His favorite college team is Duke, and his favorite sporting memory was Duke winning March Madness in 2010. JJ Redick was Alex's favorite college player when he was young but more recently, Caleb Williams gets the nod. As the Chicago Bears are Alex's favorite NFL team, this was a perfect match.

Alex's proudest moment came when he was interviewed by a radio station in Ottawa on his opinion on recent moves by the Ottawa Senators, which gave him a confidence boost and the knowledge that he could succeed as a writer.

Aside from sports, Alex likes to spend his time playing games. He is also very passionate about running and strives to improve at the half and full marathon distances.

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Edited by Akshay Saraswat