Jarquez Hunter’s incredible 278-yard rushing performance against Kentucky last week has pushed him into the SEC spotlight, earning him SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors and securing his lead in the conference for rushing yards. But the attention isn’t only bringing accolades; it’s also making him a prime target for heightened defensive strategies, especially for teams like Vanderbilt, whose head coach, Clark Lea, already knows the challenges Hunter brings.
“I think he’s probably the best running back we’ve faced,” Lea said on Wednesday’s SEC coaches teleconference. “He made us pay a year ago too.” Lea was referencing Hunter’s impressive 183-yard, two-touchdown performance against Vanderbilt in 2023, where Hunter averaged 9.6 yards per carry and helped Auburn secure a 31-15 victory. Until last week’s game, that 183-yard performance was the highest of Hunter’s career.
Lea described Hunter as “the complete package,” praising his patience, footwork, and ability to make quick decisions with the ball. “He’s got a combination of the patience, really good feet in the hole, and makes decisions with the ball, a quick cut and gets vertical,” Lea said. “He’s also a guy that runs behind his pads really well and seems to run through contact and bounce off tackles. I don’t see any holes in his game. They do a really nice job featuring him.”
As for Vanderbilt’s defensive approach to containing Hunter, Lea emphasized the fundamentals of tackling and leveraging field position. “We’re spending a lot of time on tackling fundamentals and talking about the need to finish on body to have a chance to down him,” Lea explained. “Last year, we were chasing the ball down a bunch, and you don’t want to be trying to collapse the edge from outside in with him on a vertical cut.”
Though Lea acknowledged that Hunter will likely make some big plays, he stressed the importance of limiting explosive runs. “That’s what good players do. It’s about how we limit his ability to break loose and prevent those explosive touchdowns in particular,” he said. “And hopefully as a team, we can put ourselves in a position where we force Auburn down the call sheet and maybe put them in situations that don’t allow them to be the aggressor.”
As Vanderbilt prepares to face off against Auburn, all eyes will be on Hunter to see if he can replicate his impressive performance or if Vanderbilt’s defense can find a way to contain him.
