Thanks to the offseason addition of former Baylor quarterback Jarrett Stidham via transfer, many are projecting Auburn to be Alabama’s primary threat in the SEC. While the addition of a big-armed quarterback is cause for celebration on the Plains, it would be unwise to overlook the Tigers returning star rusher Kamryn Pettway.

Three of the biggest college football preseason magazines were smart enough to avoid that mistake as Athlon Sports, Lindy’s and Street & Smith all put Pettway on the cover of their Auburn editions of their preseason magazines this offseason.

Check out Pettway’s response to being honored by all three 2017 preseason magazines.

Not to be outdone, Pettway also appears on the cover of Phil Steele’s 2017 SEC edition:

Following his breakout 2016 season, in which Pettway rushed for over 100 yards in seven games — including a stretch of four consecutive SEC games in which he ran for at least 169 yards — the Auburn back’s important to the offense can’t be overlooked. Following Pettway’s injury in the Vanderbilt game, the offense failed to muster much of anything against losses to Georgia and Alabama down the stretch.

Echoing Pettway’s importance to the Auburn offense, here’s what NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein had to say about the Tiger running back during a Wednesday appearance on the Cole Cubelic Show:

“From a college standpoint, what I see from Pettway is a guy that can set a tone,” Zierlein continued. “When you have a chance to impose your will at some point in the game through the running game, that is a big demoraliser… That ability to say, ‘We can do this and you can’t do anything about it,’ is such a big big key for offenses and I think Auburn absolutely has that potential this year — without question.”