Auburn football’s leading rusher to transfer from program
Auburn’s leading rusher the past two seasons is transferring from the program.
Sophomore running back JaTarvious “Boobee” Whitlow, who ran for a combined 1,551 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2018 and 2019, has entered the transfer portal, Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn confirmed at his Signing Day press conference Wednesday afternoon.
Malzahn said Whitlow is seeking a “fresh start.”
“We appreciate his time here,” Malzahn said. “We wish him nothing but the best.”
The loss of Whitlow leaves a gaping hole in Auburn’s offense, but the Tigers are not without options.
Malik Miller, Shaun Shivers, D.J. Williams and Harold Joiner are all expected to return next season. Williams ran for 400 yards and two touchdowns last season, while Shaun Shivers ran for 286 yards and three scores.
Malik Miller finished the season with 12 rushing attempts.
Perhaps the player with the biggest opportunity now is Tank Bigsby, who signed with Auburn in December and is enrolled in classes.
Bigsby rushed for 700 yards in the 2A playoffs as a junior. He rushed for 2,221 yards his senior season, adding 22 touchdowns. In his final game for Callaway, Bigsby finished with 228 rushing yards and two touchdowns. He had five runs of 20-plus yards — including a 70-yard score that appeared to spark a Callaway comeback — and looked every bit like the five-star recruit he has been hyped up to be.
This story was originally published February 5, 2020 at 1:31 PM.
