With Peyton Barber off to the NFL, the Auburn Tigers will have to find a new starter at running back capable of replacing his 248 touches, 1,128 yards from scrimmage and most importantly his 13 rushing touchdowns this fall. Exiting the spring, the coaching staff believe they know who that player will be.

The only thing is, they aren’t ready to let the cat out of the bag just yet.

While you shouldn’t expect Auburn to name a starter this summer, running backs coach Tim Horton strongly suggested the Tigers were leaning toward starting senior Jovon Robinson in the fall.

“We have to make sure they have the right maturity this summer, the right work ethic through the summer,” Horton said to SEC Country. “Sometimes when coaches wait to name starters, they want to make sure that ‘Hey can this kid can… the role we’re fixin’ to give him.’ I don’t think those roles will be defined until the Clemson game”

Horton went on to praise junior Roc Thomas and sophomore Kerryon Johnson, however he doubted they could carry the majority of carries head coach Gus Malzahn typically likes to bestow on his starting running backs. For reference, Barber carried the ball 237 times in 2015, Cameron Artis-Payne carried the ball 303 times in 2014 and Tre Mason carried the ball 317 times in 2013.

In his first season with Auburn after transferring in from junior college, Robinson carried the rock 117 times for 639 yards and scored 3 touchdowns. In the six games Robinson touched the ball more than twice, he rushed for over 90 yards in five of them – with only Alabama’s stout defense holding him below that mark.

When pressed to name the current frontrunner on the roster, Horton denied to identify the leader.

“You all can read between the lines,” Horton said.